Cesena Playbook: Your Unrivalled Calcio Experience with the Seahorses

In the middle of Emilia-Romagna, Cesena FC gathers football fans from the mountains to the seaside.

Founded in 1940, the club is well known for the iconic black-and-white seahorse on the jersey.

Sitting close to Rimini and not too far from Bologna, they are in their third successive season in Serie B, having been as low as the fourth tier as recently as 2019.

Here is everything you need to know.

Where To Stay

Hotel Cappello is close to Piazza del Popolo, a few steps from the castle of the old town, and about a 25-minute walk from the Stadio Dino Manuzzi.

Hotel Casali is closer to the stadium, about 15 minutes away, and only five minutes from the train station. It is one of the handiest options and has a large fitness area with personal training sessions on offer.

Una Hotels Cesena Nord is further out of the city centre and away from the stadium, but calcio fans will be interested to know that this is a popular choice among visiting teams when they come to play Cesena.

Where To Eat

The area around the stadium is well stocked with food stands, and for the full experience when attending a match at Dino Manuzzi, you have to try a well-stuffed piadina (thin flatbread).

The fan-favourite spots are right under the shadow of the stadium. When sitting outside Piadina 5 Stelle, you can see stands filling up as kick-off approaches, while behind the Curva Mare, the home stand of the ultras, there is a food kiosk that provides piadina through the fences.

For something more relaxed and away from the stadium, Cerina Restaurant and Tavern is a family-run institution with more than half a century of history, offering a true taste of Romagna. Players have been known to eat there.

Where To Drink

Bombonera is the fans’ hub right behind the ground and it hosts hundreds of supporters before every match. Covered in stickers of clubs from every Italian league, the Bombonera has a room with a big screen and wooden stands like the old bleachers from the stadium. In the same room, there is a painting of former coach Fabrizio Castori, and a space dedicated to scarves of clubs from all over. This is a good spot to watch the game and still feel the passion of the crowd, especially if you missed the last ticket.

Don’t Forget

Tickets – It is often possible to buy tickets at the stadium on game day, behind the two central stands. But to get the best seats, go through Cesena’s official seller Vivaticket in advance. Always remember to bring ID, not only to buy tickets but also to get into the stadium.

Merchandise – There is a store at the stadium behind the VIP stand and in the city centre on Piazza Amendola.

Did You Know?

Music is important here. Songs by the iconic musician Raoul Casadei are played before the game. When Cesena wins, the whole team gathers under the Curva Mare and everyone sings Romagna mia, the unofficial anthem of the region.

Cesena ultras are called WSB, which stands for Weisschwarz Brigaden (black-and-white brigades in German). They changed the name to honour Walter Schachner, the Austrian striker who won their hearts when playing for Cesena in the 1980s.

Getting There

Cesena is between several airports. The closest are Forlì and Rimini, but Bologna’s Guglielmo Marconi is better connected. It is about 40-60 minutes away by train and an hour by bus.

The easiest way to get to the stadium is by train. The station is just 15 minutes away on foot, and coming from the south you can see the stadium from the train.

By car, the closest exits of the highway are Cesena Nord and Cesena Sud. Once in the city, you can feel the football passion around the streets, with two roundabouts featuring a black-and-white seahorse in the middle. Many fans travel by bike.

Need Another Football Fix?

Bologna is easy to get to for some Serie A action and many bianconeri consider them their biggest rival. The real local rivals are Rimini but they have tumbled down the leagues following bankruptcy. Ravenna, in Serie C, are 25 miles away and have been making headlines since Brazil legend Ronaldinho joined their ranks earlier this year.