University of Calcio – The Football Museum Charting Italy’s History

Italy loves a university with a tale to tell.

Think Bologna, the world’s oldest in continuous operation, where teaching began around 1088. Or Padua and Naples, opening their doors in the early part of the 13th century.

There’s plenty more up and down the country – including the University of Calcio that is Coverciano.

Located 20 minutes from Florence’s Santa Maria Novella train station, Coverciano serves as the technical headquarters of the FIGC (the Italian Football Federation) and is the coaching school every aspiring Italian manager has to graduate from to obtain their UEFA Pro Licence.

Coverciano is also home to the Museo del Calcio, the Italian Football Museum.

The concept of a museum charting the history of Italian football was first floated at the time of the 1990 World Cup, but a decade passed before the doors opened.

Through its six rooms, the Museo del Calcio covers Italy’s rich football lineage, from its birth to its evolution into national sport.

The oldest treasure is a pennant from a 1922 friendly between Italy and Austria when a 3-3 draw at Milan’s Velodromo Sempione served as the opening chapter of a long rivalry.

There’s the jersey worn by the legendary Silvio Piola during his international debut in 1935 against the Austrians, with his mother’s hand-stitched well wishes sewn in.

Or how about the No.8 worn by Celestino Celio in 1954 against Argentina. The shirt, part of a section that traces the history of the national team from the post-war period up to 1968, is green rather than the traditional blue, a colour contrast that feels alien to the team we know today.

The museum pays homage to Enzo Bearzot with a section dedicated to the national teams he managed between 1978 and 1986, a tenure defined by the 1982 World Cup win that unified Italy at a very delicate time in the country’s social fabric.

Another room brings visitors into the era of modern television and global icons. Ciao, the Italia 90 mascot is here and the No.6 shirt Franco Baresi wore at the 1994 World Cup in the USA.

Then there’s the silverware. The four World Cups and two European Championship trophies are there. There is also a room dedicated to the women’s team containing memorabilia from various tournaments and charting the growth of the game.

Key information

The University of Calcio is included in the Firenze Card, which is valid for 72 hours after activation and allows one visit to museums and places registered to the scheme.

Museo del Calcio Coverciano – Viale Aldo Palazzeschi 20, Florence.

Open seven days a week between 10am and 6pm.

Tickets are available on the museum’s website and cost €12 for adults and €6 for children aged between 6 and 14 and groups of at least 20 people, while entry is free for children under five.

Guided tours are available in Italian, English, Spanish, French and Japanese for an extra €10 per person, but only for groups of 20 or more and upon reservation.

An audio guide app is included in the ticket.

A guided tour of the museum and of the training centre costs €20 but is only available to groups of 20 or more.