Football city Genoa may call itself with all rights the cradle of Italian football. Via Genoa FC from 1893 the original British football spread over Italy. The love for the calcio has settled deeply in the harbor city.
Just like San Siro the Luigi Ferraris in Genoa is such a characteristic Italian stadium which you recognize immediately but it's original architecture, with its trademark corners and the typical roof. Also remarkable: the camel colored façade. From the hills around Genoa you have an amazing view of the stadium. It's also home to two clubs: Genoa CFC and Sampdoria, classic rivals in a real football city.
The current stadium is quite new, for the 1990 World Cup it had been demolished and built up again completely. This semi-modern architecture makes Luigi Ferraris not less atmospheric, on the contrary: the acoustic is outstanding. Especially at the famous 'Derby della Lanterna' between rivals Genoa and Sampdoria the atmosphere is wonderful.
Genoa CFC has probably the most beautiful club museum of Italy, located on a beautiful place: the museum 'Fondazione Genoa 1893' at the Via al Porto Antico, in the middle of the historic harbor of the city. In a beautiful building from the 16th century you'll find old shirts and souvenirs from the oldest club of Italy, displayed in beautiful vitrines. The museum is multimedial, with beautiful videos about the origins of the club and the Italian football in general. A real recommendation, because the museum has also a lovely club store.
There is no arguing about taste, and the shirt of Genoa CFC is wonderful too, but the jersey of Sampdoria has been named 'La maglia più bella del mondo': the most beautiful shirt of the world. The blauw with the red-black-white banners is unique, classy and recognizable. Both at the stadium and in the city centre of Genoa you'll find club stores of Sampdoria with beautiful stuff, among which also the great retro line of COPA Football. The store 'Sampdoria Point' at the Via Cesarea is the best one in town. The unique combination of colors is seen in the stands of the Luigi Ferraris too when Sampdoria plays a home game.
Playing football yourself? That's possible in Genoa on some wonderful places. At the Via dell'Acciaio is a great football pitch 'at height'. The artificial pitch has a extraordinary view over the city. Right next to the sea you'll find the pitch of USD Polis Genova 1993. It has been used by football academies, but you can rent it yourself too. You can hear the Ligurian sea while you're playing.
Also the training ground of Sampdoria is beautifully located, in the green coastal arena at the east of Genoa, with the see on the horizon. The 'Gloriano Mugnaini' complex is often open for fans, and otherwise you can see the pictures from nearby hills.
The Derby della Lanterna is one of the most underrated and intense derbies in Italian football. A true recommendation and tickets are quite easily to get. Luigi Ferrraris is on derby days mostly sold out, but not completely. Keep an eye on the 'home playing team' a couple of weeks in advance the presale starts. Regular home matches of Sampdoria and Genoa are easy to visit anyway.
Take at motorway A12 exit Genova Est and follow the road until Stadio Luigi Ferraris appears on the signs. Thereafter, after a few hundred meters the terracotta colored stadium is seen on your left hand.
Train and metro station Genova Brignole is 10 minute walk away from the stadium. From the front side of the stadium several buses go to the stadium as well.
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