FOOTBALL CULTURE

In Pictures: How Fans Enjoyed Italia 90

By Harry Slavin

Italia 90 invited the world to descend on the boot and fans flocked to see their side in action on the biggest stage, while taking in some of the finest destinations the country has to offer.

From Milan and Turin in the north and Bari and Naples in the south, the peninsula was awash with football colours for four weeks, with 12 host cities welcoming supporters from the 24 nations.

The legacy of the tournament still stands to this day – with relics of 1990 visible in towns and around stadiums, while the desire to attend matches across Italy remains just as strong with football followers.

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England fans walk past Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi in Verona ahead of a group match between Belgium and Spain. The logo and mascot were inescapable around Italy during the tournament (Photo: SvenSimonSpo/United Archives via Getty Images)
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England and Ireland fans enjoy a friendly kickabout in Sardinia ahead of their group match in Cagliari. The bounce game took place at the bottom of the staircase which leads up to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Bonaria (Photo: Getty Images)
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Scotland fans at Stadio Luigi Ferraris watch from one of the turrets in the corner of the iconic stadium in Genoa. The Scots played their opening two matches there before heading north to Turin, where they lost to Brazil and were eliminated (Photo: Getty Images)
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A fan takes the opportunity to catch up on some sleep inside the giant artwork outside the Marassi in Genoa. Installations were common up and down the country to celebrate the World Cup, and signage at some grounds still exists today (Photo: Getty Images)
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Italy fans in Rome take to the streets during the group stage with World Cup fever high in the capital. The hosts played their first five matches at Stadio Olimpico, before heading to Naples for their semi-final defeat at the hands of Argentina (Photo: Getty Images)
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An Italian fan wearing a Wizard of Arcella robe cheers on his side during their group-stage clash with Czechoslovakia. The fashion of a football stadium was still some time away from wall to wall replica jerseys in 1990, with homemade outfits and casual clothing prevalent throughout a ground (Photo: Getty Images)
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Two Brazil fans find a novel way to make their way to their clash with Sweden. The Selecao played each of their four matches in Turin – all three of their group games before losing their last-16 tie to beaten finalists Argentina (Photo: Mark Leech/Getty Images)

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