In this post I’ll cover my experience going to a Serie A game in Rome in April 2024. If you’d like to to read about the other games I went to during that trip, here are links below:
The game I went to was Lazio vs. Salernitana at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. It was my first time going to a Serie A game!
- Background
- Teams involved
- How I got tickets
- How I got to the game
- The game
- Leaving the stadium
- Conclusion
Background
I checked the Serie A schedule about a month before traveling to Rome to see if there were any games I could go to. There happened to be a game between Lazio and Salernitana during my time there, so I started to look into how I could get tickets.
Teams involved
Lazio is a Rome-based team that competes in Serie A, the top level in Italian football. It has a very strong rivalry with Roma and they share the impressive Stadio Olimpico. Related to that rivalry, the game I went to was right after a Lazio vs. Roma game that Lazio lost. Lazio fans were not happy about their team’s performance in the previous game and they were very vocal about it. They really wanted to see their team win this game and to do so in a dominant way.
Salernitana is a team based in Salerno, southwestern Italy. They had been in Serie A for the past few years but were relegated to Serie B at the end of the 2023-24 season.
How I got tickets
I went to the Lazio tickets web page and found the date when the tickets would go on general sale. I also learned that tickets to Lazio games had to be purchased through VivaTicket, an Italian ticketing portal. I set up an account so I could purchase tickets as soon as they became available in open sale and kept track of the calendar.
When the tickets became available in general sale I logged in and purchased the tickets. It was not difficult to find tickets for this match. By then it was pretty clear that Salernitana would go down to Serie B at the end of the season. Also, the Stadio Olimpico is one of the biggest ones in Italy (it has capacity for over 70,000 spectators).
An important detail to keep in mind is that unlike England, where my recent experience has been that tickets can be added to digital wallets, this ticket stated that it had to be printed to gain access to the stadium. I did see a few people using their phones to get the ticket scanned at the stadium, but I recommend printing a physical copy of the ticket.
Another important detail is that, before you can enter the stadium, you will need to show both the ticket and ID to enter. The names on the tickets must match the names on the IDs.
How I got to the game
I stayed in central Rome during the trip, close to the Roma Termini station (Rome’s biggest train station). The Stadio Olimpico is northwest of central Rome, on the other side of the Tiber river. My father came to this game with me and we decided to take the A line of the metro to the Flaminio station. Since we set out from central Rome early, we decided to walk from Flaminio station to the stadium. We followed Via Flaminia and crossed the Tiber at the Ponte del Risorgimento.
It was a much longer walk than we expected, so to get to the stadium it’s better to take the metro to the Lepanto station (it’s also on line A) and then the bus to the stadium (e.g. bus # 280). That’s what we did to get back to central Rome after the game. You can tap-to-pay with your credit card to take the metro or bus in Rome. Also, if you purchased a BIT (biglietto integrato a tempo) you can use it to travel in the metro or bus and to transfer to another metro or bus within 100 minutes of the first use.
Once we got to the stadium we were asked to show our tickets and IDs in the outer perimeter. Then we had to get our physical tickets scanned in the turnstiles (it took a few tries but it eventually worked) and then we were asked to show our tickets and IDs again before entering the stadium. The key thing to remember is: Don’t forget your ID! If you are visiting from outside the European Union, bring your passport.
The game
As I mentioned earlier, this game happened a few days after Lazio had lost the Derby della Capitale. Many Lazio fans in the stadium were not happy with their team’s previous performance and they expected a good game. The stadium was not full but the fans were loud and it was a great environment. My dad and I sat in the Tribuna Tevere, close to the midfield area. We had a great view of the game.
The game was dominated by Lazio and they won 4-1 (three of the goals were scored in the first half). It was a fun game to go to and I am really looking forward to going to more Serie A games in the future (hopefully an Inter game at the San Siro!).
You can watch the game highlights below.
Leaving the stadium
Since we had already taken a long walk to get to the stadium my dad and I decided to make a more efficient return to central Rome after the game. We took bus #280 near the stadium, just south of the Ponte Duca D’Aosta. We got off the bus at Lepanto station and then took the A line back to central Rome.
Conclusion
My dad and I had a great time at this game. I had been to games in different European countries before (England, Spain, Portugal) and had always wanted to see a Serie A game live. Finally the opportunity came and I’m really happy that we went. The game had many goals, the fans at the stadium were loud, and the Stadio Olimpico was really impressive. Also, getting to the stadium was very easy with the metro and bus.
Whenever you are in Rome, definitely check the Serie A schedule to see if you can catch a game at the Stadio Olimpico!