From Como to Naples via Milan… Five of the Best Aways Days in Serie A

There is nothing quite like an away day. The feeling of excitement as you board the train or coach in the morning, and the prospect of ticking off a new ground, while drinks are being shared.

In every division in every country, the experience of being among the travelling fans is very different to sitting, or standing, with the locals.

Here are five of our favourite away days in Serie A.

Milan

There are few more instantly recognisable sights in world football than San Siro. From the moment you emerge from the Metro, the Giuseppe Meazza dominates the horizon, like a spaceship that has landed on the edge of Milan, with its iconic spirals and red girders.

Whether you are a regular or a first-time visitor, it takes the breath away. It is also one of the top away days in Italy, as the view from the visitors’ end is one of the best in the country, despite it being up in the gods in the Terzo Anello Verde for AC Milan or in the Terzo Anello Blu for Inter Milan.

Think Newcastle’s St James’ Park and then some.

“I first went into the away end with United in 2007 and was blown away,” Manchester United fan Tom Hughes told Destination Calcio.

“A couple of years later I managed to get my hands on an away ticket when Genoa were visiting and it was an even more surreal experience. It feels as though you need oxygen just to reach the away end and there is a lot more segregation than back in England, but it’s such a buzz to be there.

“It’s a cliche to say fans look forward to their team winning promotion to Serie A so they can visit the likes of San Siro, but you really felt most of those in the away end were absolutely delighted just to have the chance to watch their team in action on such a grand stage.”

Milan, of course, is one of the great football cities in the world. From a spritz in Navigli to a pint at the iconic Football Pub, there is no shortage of spots to visit on an away day, including the San Siro museum.

With the stadium set to be demolished by 2031, the clock is ticking for those wishing to experience the away end in one of the great calcio cathedrals.

Naples

Visiting Naples is the footballing equivalent of a trip to an open-air museum. From the Diego Maradona murals in the Spanish Quarter to the spontaneous shrines to the former captain across town, Naples is a city that lives and breathes football like few others in the world.

The stadium named after the late Argentine is the perfect symbol of Naples’ love affair with the beautiful game. Rough around the edges, uniquely Neapolitan and carrying an overbearing sense of history, the venue in Fuorigrotta makes for a proper away day.

Forget about the traditional Neapolitan warm welcome, though. A trip to the away end at the Maradona is not for the faint-hearted, with a hostile atmosphere guaranteed to greet every visiting team.

Or at least those whose fans are allowed to travel, as over the past decade the Italian Interior Ministry’s measures have meant bans on trips to Naples for Juventus, Atalanta and Roma, among others.

Wedged in the south-western corner of the ground between the Tribuna and the Curva A, the away end has a capacity of between 2500 and 3000 and relatively good sightlines now that the fans have been moved into the second tier.

One ultra from a team in the north of Italy told us: “It’s a long journey there, about eight hours to drive but we do it and then head straight back after the game. They don’t want us to stay around and we don’t want to.”

For the neutral though, being in the away end at the Maradona is quite something.

Florence

Centuries of history and stunning architecture, signature dishes and wines – Florence has it all as a city. It also has one of the oldest stadiums in continuous use in Italy, and the Stadio Artemio Franchi is undergoing a long-awaited facelift in the hope it can be a host venue at Euro 2032.

The renovation work has limited the capacity of the away end, which is located between the Curva Ferrovia and the Tribuna Maratona, to between 300 and 750.

And while tickets may be harder to come by, an away fixture in Florence remains high on the list for calcio lovers, despite the Franchi’s structural idiosyncrasies.

“Fiorentina is an iconic away day for Lazio,” Biancocelesti follower Scott Balam told Destination Calcio. “The away end is shocking and view is terrible, but the Franchi is really fun, especially when it’s full.”

Here’s hoping the restyling will result in a better away end.

Como

Nestled on the shores of Lake Como and surrounded by the mountains, the Stadio Sinigaglia boasts one of the most scenic backdrops in football.

The view from the away end is good, it occupies half of the Curva Est, but is a bit farther away from the pitch than the redeveloped Curva Como at the opposite end of the ground.

Off the pitch, meanwhile, a trip to Como has enough to satisfy the old-school fans and the new kind of football tourists. From bars on the corner of the ground and bakeries open past midnight for a late snack, to fine dining restaurants and swanky venues tucked away in the cobbled streets.

Just don’t expect three points to come easily. Under Cesc Fabregas, the Lariani have developed into one of the best teams in Serie A and last season had the fifth-best home record in the division, winning 10, drawing six and losing just three times at the Sinigaglia.

Venezia

Yes, there are bigger away ends in Italy and yes, there are away ends that offer better views. But then again, the Pier Luigi Penzo is the only away end you can reach by boat.

Tucked away on the island of Sant’Elena, the Penzo has been home to Venezia since 1913 and is Italy’s second-oldest ground still in use after the Luigi Ferraris in Genoa. But this will be its last season before the Lagunari move to a swanky new stadium close to the airport.

“Stepping into the away end at the Penzo is like stepping back in time,” Fiorentina fan Enrico Santioli explains. “It feels like standing on a big scaffolding, yet somehow it all works.

“It feels authentic, rough around the edges but authentic. It’s everything that calcio should be. The only problem is that if you are visiting in winter and it’s raining, you will end up soaked to the bone.”

As for Venice the city, it really shouldn’t need selling. Arrive by boat, grab a drink by the ground before heading in to watch some Serie A? Football doesn’t get much better than that.