European Qualifier, October 12 2015
First up on a very quick trip abroad was the first game for me in a micro-state, as I watched Slovenia's game against San Marino in Serravalle.
Landing in Rome, it was a long and fairly complicated journey to get to the ground. A four and half hour train journey to Rimini was first (Rimini was where I stayed that night)
The entire nation of San Marino doesn't have a train station. In fairness there isn't much of it. Therefore the only way of getting from Rimini to Serravalle was via a bus which is generally every hour or so. A single trip cost three euros and it dropped me off outside the ground. The trip back was more expensive. There were no buses going back after the 8.45pm kickoff, and with my phone battery dying, I had to rely on a steward phoning me a taxi and that trip cost me 40 euros. The local people were all very helpful and warm though.
I was actually within the small cotingemt of Slovenian fans. It sort of happened by accident, I reached the ground via the Slovenian end and asked for the ticket office. I'm not sure that two ticket offices were needed at the San Marino Stadium, but I ended up with an away ticket, which was 20 euros for an uncovered seat and 30 for a covered seat. Those prices did surprise me.
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| View from the away stand at the San Marino Stadium |
It is not the worst ground I've ever been to. There are two stands, with the Smmarinese fans in the near side to the dugouts, often singing about captain Andy Selva, and the away fans in the far side stand. Having said that, take away the camera operator I could see and the adverts for the likes of Carlsberg and Konami and I would have felt ;ike I was an amateur game.
As for the game. Slovenia needed a win to confirm third place and a playoff spot. They weren't great, often passing sideways too often. San Marino had a golden chance to break the deadlock, and it was goalless at half time. Second half headers though from Bostjan Cesar and ex-Sheffield Wednesday man Nejc Pecnik gave Slovenia their needed but expected three pioints.
Italy 2-1 Norway
European Qualifier, October 13 2015
The second game was at a much bigger ground. Italy took on Norway at Rome's Stadio Olimpico. The Azzurri were looking to complete an unbeaten qualifying campaign, while unless Croatia dropped points at home to Malta, Norway needed to win to secure qualification for a major tournament for the first time since 2000.
Due to a Norwegian friend going, I got to secure a ticket in the away end. After going through the choas of the areas surrounding the famous venue, we made our way for the watertight security. Watertight doesn't cover it, as I swear I was searched four times before reaching my seat. And I complain about English stewarding...
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| The Stadio Olimpico pre-match |
There were lots of empty seats in the Olimpico, but that didn't detract to a tremendous amount of noise made by both sets of fans as you could feel the foundations moving. The Italian national anthem was also brilliant to witness live.
Norway needed the win more and they were very close to achieving it. In the 22nd minute the ball fell to Alex Tettey who hit it perfectly from outside the area to put the away team ahead and sending the travelling Norwegians absolutely bonkers.
As the game went on, the Norwegians stayed ahead and the fans were getting confident, and the players too. Perhaps too confident. The Norwegians were doing the ole thing all fans have done at some point, and the defenders were offering upsome heart in mouth moments as they tried playing out of the back.
In the end, it proved to happen once too many. and it fell to Alessandro Florenzi, who as Barcelona know can score 60 yards out,a nd in this case, he equalised from six. The left back was at fault and he was again as Graziano Pelle scored the winner 11 minutes from time. With Croatia winning, Norway will have to go through the playoffs to reach Euro 2016.
