The Last Crusade: Italy v England, Turin

Friendly
Italy v England
Juventus Stadium
Turin, Italy
31 March 2015

Following the relatively straight forward 4:0 thrashing of Lithuania at Wembley on Friday night, we travelled to Turin for a much harder test against the Azzuri. The Three Lions are without Sterling, Wellbeck, Sturridge, Milner, Cahill and Baines, but the one ray of hope is the arrival of in form Spurs Striker Harry Kane, who is set to start against Italy's finest.

Juventus Stadium. England have never played in this stadium but have played in Turin 6 times before, including the 1990 WC in Italy when we lost to Germany in the SF:

Stadio Comunale di Torino

16 May 1948, Friendly, Italy v England (0-4)

14 Jun 1973, Friendly, Italy v England (2-0)

12 Jun 1980, Euro 80 Group2, England v Belgium (1-1)

15 Jun 1980, Euro 80 Group 2, Italy v England (1-0 )

Stadio delle Alpi

4 Jul 1990,WC 1990 SF, England v Germany (1-1 AET)

(3-4pens)

15 Nov 2000, Friendly, Italy v England (1-0)

Harry Kane makes his first appearance on the front cover of the Free Lions after scoring 26 goals in 42 games for Spurs which has help justify his first inclusion in the national squad

Turin is lovely old town full of cobbles and charm

This game in Turin was an eagerly awaited affair between two of the supposed power houses of Europe. The venue was slow in being announced by the Italian FA, but with a choice of only two stadiums it was no surprise when the newish 'Juventus Stadium' was selected ahead of the Stadio Olympic (home of FC Torino). What came as more of a surprise was that the travelling support would be limited to 2099, in a stadium that holds 41000. The cap cut off was 18

The 2099 English fans making most of the noise in the crowd of 31,138. The photo above shows the England fans occupying the upper and lower tiers of the block 211 and 110 in the North stand. The away end was like a giant 'V' with 10' perspex screens separating us from the Italians on all sides.

Italy 1 England 1
Attendance: 31138

After arriving via bus and then a long walk through cobbled streets dragging our strollers to the hotel it was time to hit the bars in the old town of Quadrillatero Romano. After food we head to a cocktail bar with the welcoming name of 'La case del Demone' (The house of the Demon).

This hangover is going to hurt

Hotel Dogana Vecchia, our home for the next few days.

The hotel was very proud of its heritage and the fact that both Napoleon and Mozart have stayed here in the past.

Palazzo di Citta (Town Hall Square from 1472) is just around the corner from our hotel on via Corte d Appello. The statue is commemorating Conte Verde, a former Count of Savoy.

Via Barbaroux, part of the Roman road structure
of the Contrada of Guardinfanti

On the quest to find the number 72 bus stop
to the Juventus Stadium - via the Metro line.

Entrance to the Juventus Museum

J Store 1

J Store 2

J Store 3

Marketing of the game in the Area 12 shopping centre

You Zebras

Walking to the entrance for the stadium tour we passed the huge roof supports are painted in the Italian colours.

The VIP entrance to the West stand.

The Italians love a stadium tour

East Stand

Posh seats

West Stand

The corner where the England fans will be in 48 Hours.

West Stand

Me and an Italian supporter at the players entrance.

Sue on the phone, South stand in the background.

Walking with the stars

There are 50 big stars surrounding the stadium,

celebrating Ex Juve, this includes genuine greats like
Michel Platini and Didier Deschamps.

Area 12 Shopping Centre

The City of Turin is full of fountains

Piazza Castello with Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace).

The Vittorio Emanuele 1 Bridge over the River Po

The church of Gran Madre di Dio was proposed in 1814 to celebrate the return of King Victor Emmanuel 1
of Sardinia following the defeat of Napoleon.

It houses remains of 5000 men who fell in WW1.

Turin's Victory Arch

The rear of the Palazzo Madama bearing the 15th Century appearance of a castle. it was the HQ for the provisional French government during the Napoleonic wars.

The Mole Antonelliana, the symbol of Turin.

The station at Sassi.

Sassi - Superga tramway is 1.9 mile long and overcomes a

height difference of 419m with a maximum gradient of 20%.

The Basilica of Superga was built between 1717 and 1731 for Victor Amadeus II of Savoy. The church contains the tombs of princes and kings of the House of Savoy. It is also the site of the air disaster of the Grande Torino football team.

At the back of the Basilica is the monument to the Grande Torino, the historic football team of Torino FC who were the 5 x champions of Italy in the 1940's.

The whole team perished in the disaster, when on 4 May 1949 the three engined Fiat G212 was caught in thick fog that enveloped Turin and the surrounding hills and crashed into the supporting wall at the rear of the Basilica.

Out of respect to the 31 players and staff that died, the damaged supporting wall was never replaced. On the day of the funeral nearly a million people took to the streets of Turin.

Paying respects with a Peroni

The view of Turin from Superga

The Palatine Gate on the Archaeological site is a well preserved 1st C BC gate that provided access through the city walls of Julia Augusta Taurinorum (modern Turin).

The Mole from the Giardini Reali (Royal Gardens).

The National Monument to Policeman, erected after WW1.

Outside Loo - Sue inside

Via Garibaldi

Having a beer on this quiet square
called Largo IV Marzo, next to our hotel.

Sue sat by one of the two fountains on Piazza CLN.

The two fountains commemorate the two rivers Po and Dora.

At the Zelli Wine bar on Corso Vittoria Emanuuele II with Roberto and his boy who plays for Torino FC Juniors.
Roberto is captaining the Italian supporter's club against the English tomorrow.

Ian (Spurs) with the Mrs

Mercato Porta Palazzo, the largest food market in Europe

Piazza Statuto and the 'monument to the Frejus Railway Tunnel' was the first and still one of the main transalpine connections between France and Italy, opened to traffic in 1871. During the 25 years to build it there were 48 deaths.

The Citadel in Turin

Aperol Spritzers at sunset

Matchday in Turin

Queuing for tickets at HQ England Fans (Hotel Roma)

The Free lions had set up stall at Piazza Carlo Felice
just opposite the main train station.

Next stop was the Stadio Olimpico the home Torino FC. This is located in the south of the city, where we had planned to do the stadium tour and visit the Museo dello Sport.

The stadium was originally built in the 1930's during the fascist dictatorship of Mussolini and was named Stadio Municipale Benito Mussolini. it hosted several games during the 1934 and 1990 FIFA World Cups, later becoming Stadio Communal; home to both Juventus and Torino. In 1989 Juventus moved to their new home at the Stadio delle Alpi, but returned in 2006 and stayed until 2001, when their new stadium was build (Juventus Stadium). England last played here in 1990 against the Germans in the 1990 WC SF.

The 60 metre tall Olympic Torch at the back
of the Curva Maratona (Curva Nord)

Curva Maratona (Curva Nord)

Curva Primavera (Curva Sud)

The Torino Bull in its paddock
beneath the Curva Maratona.

At the corner flag with the East Stand
(Distini Est) in the background

Players tunnel in the West Stand (Distini Ovest)

Curva Maratona in the distance is the
area that the hardcore Torino fans are located.

Captain's chair at Torino FC

Olympic Park, Turin

Statue of Emanuele Filberto on horseback
in the centre of Piazza San Carlo

Piazza San Carlo

Following our exciting ride in the buses (+ blue light escort) we arrive at the away end and are funnelled through security where sue loses her Juventus lighter.