Pescara Stadium Guide: Stadio Adriatico

Built as one of the host venues for the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, the Stadio Adriatico has been Pescara’s home for over six decades.

A stone’s throw from the sea which gives it its name, the stadium held just north of 40,000 after being expanded in the 1970s and 1980s, but capacity has been halved since, with Pescara treading water in Serie C and Serie B.

Here is all you need to know.

What Makes It Special?

Its location and atmosphere. How many other clubs can claim to have a stadium less than a 10-minute walk from a beach overlooking the Adriatic?

A celebratory beer tastes much better in one of the many bars dotting the shore, while washing away the disappointment of a defeat is a lot easier with a glass of the local Montepulciano wine as the waves crash.

Inside, the Adriatico is dated and tired but what it lacks in aesthetics it makes up for in atmosphere. The Curva Nord is awash with blue and white flags and scarves and hearing it belt out the 1987 Italian pop hit Gente di Mare makes the hairs stand up on the back of neck.

Gente di mare, of course, is Italian for people of the sea. How very apt.

How To Get There

Sitting in the Portanuova neighbourhood in the south of the city, the Stadio Adriatico is a 10-minute walk from the Lungomare, Pescara’s promenade. The stadium is also a 30-minute walk from the main train station and the central Piazza della Rinascita, both of which are served by bus routes No 7 and No 21.

A bus ride to the ground takes around 15 minutes from either.

Map

Neighbourhood Tips

The area around the Adriatico may look fairly nondescript, but don’t be put off. Henry’s and Caffetteria Galeone – somewhat disappointingly not named after the late great Pescara manager Giovanni – right across from the Curva Nord are perfect no-frills options for a drink before or after the game, while the nearby betting shop – yes, you can buy drink in a bookies – also dishes out bottles of Moretti and Peroni at an alarmingly quick rate on matchday.

Slightly further up the road Smeralda offers pizza by the slice at a very reasonable price, while turn right away from the ground and Bar Stadio comes into view. A wonderfully old-fashioned cafe, this bar is a lot calmer than its counterparts by the Curva Nord but no less immersed in football. From the Pescara flag hanging in the window, to a collection of pennants above the bar, this is where locals come to chat calcio and probably have done since it opened 82 years ago.

Walk five minutes down the road and you’ll come across Jayson’s, an Irish pub with a great selection of lagers and ales on tap for around €5 each.

Need To Know

The liveliest section of the stadium is the Curva Nord – home of the Pescara ultras. Like many Italian grounds it has a running track between the fans and the pitch, and this one is blue.

Tickets

The ticket collection booths are located on the corner of the Curva Nord and the Tribuna Majella. Our guide has all the information on Pescara tickets.