Stadio Friuli

The Stadio Friuli is located 4km outside the city of Udine, Italy, and is the home ground of Serie A side, Udinese.

The stadium was opened in 1976, and the club have ensured that they have kept it fresh and modernised with a series of renovations over the last 50 years, so the stadium doesn’t feel or look as old as it is.

For away fans, the location of the stadium just outside the beautiful city of Udine, which has never been a tourist trap, is spot on. While you won’t find endless pubs and bars, you will get a feel for authentic Italy, which makes this different to some of the more ‘common’ Italian away days in cities such as Rome and Milan.

As for the stadium, away fans are typically located in the south-west corner, wedged between the Curva Sud and Tribuna Centrale. Away fan culture isn’t huge in Italy, so there is only room for around 1,000 fans in the away section, and even that is rarely filled.

For the upcoming Super Cup between PSG and Tottenham, this is a non-issue as both sets of supporters have been allocated one end of the stadium each.

Stadio Friuli gears up for the European Super Cup

The European Super Cup is frequently played at smaller stadiums across Europe, a tradition that UEFA has surprisingly yet to try and change.

This year, the match will be played at the Stadio Friuli and will be contested between PSG and Tottenham. Both teams travel well in Europe, so a much bigger stadium could have been used, but the charm of the Friuli should win fans of both clubs over.

Both clubs have been given an allocation of just shy of 7,000 tickets, and both are expected to sell out comfortably.

The match will take place on Wednesday, 13 August.

Pope John Paul II

In 1992, Pope John Paul II held a mass at the Stadio Friuli in front of a crowd of 30,000 people. The Pope addressed the crowd in the local dialect (Friulian) and is considered one of the most momentous occasions in the stadium’s history.

The Stadio Friuli is a single-tiered stadium all the way around, and considering it only has a capacity of 25,144, there isn’t a spot in the stadium where you will feel far away from the action on the pitch.

This wasn’t always the case at the stadium. When it first opened, it had an athletics running track that wrapped around the pitch, which made supporters feel separated from the football.

The largest stand at the stadium is the North Stand. This is considered the ‘main’ stand at the Stadio Friuli and is where the dugouts and press box are located. The stand is split into two lengthways, with the press box and VIP areas sitting in between.

The ‘best’ seats in this stand can be found in the blocks closest to the middle area. These are blocks A-C and F-H.

If you are more interested in the atmosphere, then you should try and get a ticket in the Curva Nord, as this is where the Udinese ultras are situated.

Seating plan

As touched on above, Udine isn’t a city that is jam-packed with pubs and bars, but what it lacks in quantity, it makes up for in quality. Three pre-match pub recommendations in Udine:

• The Black Stuff – Via Gorghi, 3, 33100 Udine UD, Italy
• La Tana – Piazza Paolo Diacono, 10, 33100 Udine UD, Italy
• Taverna dell’Angelo – Via Lovaria, 3/b, 33100 Udine UD, Italy

If fans want a proper meal before a match at the Stadio Friuli, then they should try and get something before they head to the stadium, rather than bank on what is on offer at the Stadio Friuli.

At the stadium, you will be limited to snacky options, including popcorn and sandwiches. In terms of drinks, alcoholic beverages are served on the concourses in addition to soft and hot drinks.

There isn’t an awful lot to shout about in the immediate vicinity of the Stadio Friuli, so you are better off heading into the city centre if you want more restaurant options. Some of the best restaurants in Udine include:

• Ristorante Carmagnola – Via del Gelso, 37, 33100 Udine UD, Italy
• Agli Amici – Via Liguria, 252, 33100 Udine UD, Italy
• Vitello d’Oro – Via Erasmo Valvason, 4, 33100 Udine UD, Italy

By car

The Stadio Friuli is located just off the A-23 motorway, so it’s an easy stadium to get to if you are driving. What makes driving an even better option is the huge free car park that is located right next to the stadium.

For public transport

From the city centre, fans should make their way to Udine Railway Station before boarding bus number 9 to the stadium. The total journey lasts around 20 minutes, and fans should get off at Mainerio before taking a short walk to the stadium.

The Stadio Friuli currently has a capacity of 25,144, but it used to be significantly larger than this.

When it first opened in 1976, the stadium had a capacity of 41,652 and an athletic track wrapped around the pitch. The first significant renovation took place ahead of the 1990 FIFA World Cup, when the stadium was refurbished to ensure it was at the required standard.

This work saw the capacity drop to 36,000, but this was just the beginning of extensive work over the next couple of decades. The stadium deteriorated a lot quicker than expected, and in the early 2000s, the club were forced to drop the capacity to 30,000 due to health and safety concerns.

Then, in 2012, the most significant changes came when the club stripped the whole stadium back and effectively rebuilt it, removing the athletic track in the process. Three new covered stands were erected, with the Main Stand the only one that survived. It was during this work that the capacity was set at 25,144.

The city of Udine has plenty on offer to those who love Italian culture. Some of the standout sites to see include:

• Museo Diocesano e Gallerie del Tiepolo
• Cattedrale di Udine
• Piazza della Liberta
• Udine Castle
• Loggia del Lionello

The Stadio Friuli is set for more significant change in the coming years after the city council approved plans to redevelop 20,000 square metres at the stadium.

The revamp of the stadium will include the addition of new food courts, shopping areas, a swimming pool, a hotel and a new sports museum.

The idea is to make the stadium more than just a football stadium, which is a nod to the stadium’s past, when it had an athletic track around the pitch.

Traditionally, Udinese’s biggest rivals are US Triestina Calcio 1918, who now play way down the Italian Football pyramid in Serie C Group A. The two teams are the two biggest teams in the northern Friuli-Venezia Giulia region.

Their biggest rivals in more recent times are Venezia.

Record attendance

• 48,421 vs Juventus (Serie A, 1982)

Average attendances

• 2024-2025: 21,823 (Serie A)
• 2023-2024: 21,547 (Serie A)
• 2022-2023: 21,615 (Serie A)