Saturday 4th April 2015 @6.30pm
Italia Serie A
AFC
FIORENTINA 2-0 SAMPDORIA
Stadio Artemio Franchi, Firenze
Admission: €40
Programme: N/A
Attendance: 33,777
Refreshments: Peroni €3 (330ml)
A long weekend in Florence with my wife thanks to my
daughters Christmas surprise gift. Then as a birthday gift from my Mrs, a
ticket for the match on early Saturday evening. I had left Kay drinking Prosecco
in Trattoria Bondi near the main station Firenze Santa Monica Novella as I took
the regional train to Firenze Campo Marte which takes under 10 minutes and
costs €3 return. It is then a brisk 10
minute walk to the ground going over the railway bridge and passing the
official merchandise stalls and food outlets which have a variety of meat
products much superior to the English fayre outside the grounds. I had earlier gone to the match day ticket
outlet a few minutes from the ground which opens from 0900-1300 and 1430-kick
off on match days. I needed just my passport and cash to buy a ticket in the
main stand as it is the only one with cover in an otherwise open bowl-shaped
all seated stadium.
It was drizzle when we landed mid-morning and more persistent
when we had arrived in Florence after the transfer from Pisa airport. By the afternoon when I got my ticket it was
chucking it down and it continued throughout the afternoon and evening so much
so that I purchased a waterproof poncho from the looky-looky man at the main
station.
On entering the main stand there is a concourse behind the
lower tier, under the upper tier which sold hot and cold drinks, popcorn and
snacks. I didn’t see hot food but there is a members area which may have had
that on offer. At least it is cash sales
rather than the card system in some other grounds in Europe.
There was a few familiar names from the Premier League. Ex-Man
City Micah Richards, ex-Liverpool Aquilani and Chelsea loanee Salah all in the
home side starting line-up. Eto’o was up front for the visitors. The pitch had fast slick areas but patches of
boggy mud as well making flowing play difficult. The best shot of the half came
from Salah whi struck the post and Sampdoria also had a shot from Eto’o early
in the half which was well saved. Fiorentina had more possession but lacked a
decisive pass.
At half time I got chatting to a supporter in that broken
Italian-broken English way and he stayed chatting with me through the 2nd
half as we watched from the back of the lower tier. He explained that
Fiorentina played in a Barcelona style under their current manager Montella and
the fans are fully behind him as they try and gate-crash a Champions League
spot for next season.
In the second half Fiorentina took control and the fans went
wild as Diamanti shot into the top corner on the hour. The crowd had barely settled down when Salah
showed his skill in avoiding the defenders and slipping the ball beyond the
keeper for the 2-0 result. They almost had a third at the end from Gomez but
the shot was well saved.
So my first Italian ground and match has wetted my appetite
for more. Afterwards the café outside the station reopened and made a small
fortune in the 30 minute wait for the train back.
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