History and description

The stadium was built to provide Napoli with a permanent home after their old home, Stadio Partenopeo, had been destroyed by air raids in the Second World War. After World War II, the club played at various temporary homes, but none of them satisfied them. With the rapidly increasing fanbase of the club, a larger stadium was needed.

The Stadio San Paolo officially opened on December 6, 1959 with a match between Napoli and Juventus. At its opening, the stadium could only hold 87,500 spectators due to its uncovered nature. Most of these fans were standing.

The stadium was modernized for the European Championships in 1980. It hosted three first round group matches and the match for third place between Czechoslovakia and Italy (1-1).

The Stadio San Paolo was selected as one of the playing venues for the 1990 World Cup, and as a result underwent a major renovation. The stadium was built with a third tier, and after conversion into an all-seater, its capacity was reduced to about 76,000 seats.

During the World Cup, Stadio San Paolo hosted two first round group matches, the round of 16 match, the quarter-final between England and Cameroon (3-2), and the semi-final between Argentina and Italy (1-1).

The stadium slowly decayed after the World Cup, and lack of maintenance eventually lead to a temporary closure. Parts of the stadium were subsequently kept closed, thereby reducing capacity.

With recent successes, refurbishments have been performed at the stadium that keep it eligible for European matches.

The state of the stadium has not improved and thus Napoli have retained their ambition to either move to a new stadium or extensively redevelop Stadio San Paolo. Earlier plans have all failed, but recently the club has started talks with the city of Napoli again to come to a solution.

(photos of the present Stadio San Paolo below)

How to get to Stadio San Paolo

The stadium has a capacity of over 50,000 and was originally built in 1926 to host the Neapolitan football championship. It was extensively refurbished in 2009 and has been used for Serie A football since. The Stadio San Paolo is located in the western suburb Fuorigrotta and was originally built in 1926 to host the Neapolitan football championship. It was extensively refurbished in 2009 and has been used for Serie A football since then. The train station Napoli Campi Flegrei is 5 minutes from the stadium. There is service from Napoli Piazza Garibaldi station, which is located next to the larger central station where long-distance trains arrive. The ride takes about half an hour.

Slightly faster is the metro. One can take line 2 from the central station and several points near the center. Get off at stop Campi Flegrei station. The most popular stop on line 6 is also at a walking distance from the stadium.

The most direct way to reach the station is by taking the Ferrovia Cumana. Trains leave from the Monsanto station near the city centre.

If you're arriving by car, it's easy to get to Stadio San Paolo from the Tangenziale di Napoli. The stadium is just a few hundred metres south of exit 10 Fuorigrotta.

Address: Pizzale Vincenzo Tecchio, 80125 Napoli

Eat, drink, and sleep near Stadio San Paolo

The stadium is located in a densely populated urban area with a good number of local cafés and restaurants around. There is also a McDonalds right next to the stadium. There are a few decent hotels near Stadio San Paolo. These include Hotel Leopardi, Hotel Serius, and Hotel Cesare Augusto.

Alternatively, you might prefer to stay in the city centre of Naples, where there are good public transport connections to the stadium.

Napoli Tickets

Tickets for matches can be bought online, at authorised sales points, and at the ticket windows of Stadio San Paolo. Napoli may at times require possession of a fan card to be able to buy tickets.

The ticket prices for low-profile matches vary depending on the opponent. They can start at ?10.00 for a seat at one of the curves, and go up to ?35.00 for a seat at the main stand.

Relevant Internet links

The websites of SSC Napoli and Inaples are official websites of the Naples tourist board, while Metro.na.it is a website dedicated to information about the Naples metro. Trenitalia is a website with train times and fares. I should have checked to make sure that most passionate supporters at Curva A stand use the Curva A stand. The overall experience was not bad; the stadium is old but very big. The attendance was shocking (at 5,000). The Metro station was closed before the game finished, so coming back was difficult. I wouldn't go there again.

I should have checked to see if most passionate Curva A supporters used the stand in the middle of the stadium. The overall experience was not bad. The stadium is old but it is very big. The attendance was shocking- only 5000 people showed up. The metro station was closed before the game finished, so coming back afterwards was not easy. I would not go there again.

ARTS Frederico purchased a ticket from the Listicket shop off Via Toledo with his US passport no problem.

I purchased my ticket from the Listicket shop off Via Toledo with my US passport without any problems whatsoever.

The Stadium Guide Official Review writes: "We had no problem obtaining a ticket for Napoli. There are two club shops around the stadium. The one on the Distinti side also sells tickets. As previously stated, Listicket is no longer an option for tourists as you have to possess a membership card for the relevant club."

We received the following information from Giorgio Pin:

I had no problem getting a ticket for Napoli. There are two club shops around the stadium. The one on the Distinti side also sells tickets. As I previously stated, Listicket is no longer an option for tourists because you have to have a club membership card to use it.