C’era Una Volta (once upon a time)… a group of 60 ASA players, coaches and chaperones were able to tour the world renowned Allianz Stadium in Turin, Italy.
But first, training!
We departed for BRS Grugliasco’s training facility after a solid nights rest. The facility, a true “soccer school” (Scuola Calcio), was impressive. The players were able to use the locker rooms, mini fields and full size field on the grounds of the club.
The players were happy to get back into soccer after a long day of travel and sightseeing.
After training we were off to lunch at an Italian mall food court, where the players feasted on pasta and gelato!
Allianz Stadium, home of Juventus, was our next stop. Our visit started in the museum, full of history and interactive exhibits. The tour started at the top of the stadium, and then moved into the stadium, were we able to see the view from the premier club where the Chairman and his guests enjoy the game. Since the field is below ground, we descended the five floors to the Captains Hall where the captains meet before every game to remember where they came from and where they are going with Juventus.
After checking out the hall we were able to go into the locker room. Juventus believes having a small locker room promotes unity. Also their stadium only holds 41,000 people which is very small for a successful professional club. Despite this, they pride themselves on the fact that every seat in the stadium has a prime view.
After seeing the field, the players were excited about the grass and the quality and the cut. As we have mostly turf at home, this detail was exciting to our group of soccer fanatics!
Our last stop inside the stadium was the Press room where we were allowed to sit in the huge luxurious chairs. We made it out of the stadium and headed straight to the team store. Players were able to purchase everything from custom jerseys to phone cases!
Last, but definitely not least, we headed to an authentic Italian pizza restaurant and had pizza pies galore!
After dinner the players, coaches and chaperones were exhausted and a fun filled day came to a close.
Stay tuned for Day 3 — Alexandria meets Alessandria and gets the key to Asti!
