The city of Padova is a hidden gem…albeit hidden in plain sight.
A picturesque walled city with a quarter of a million inhabitants, Padova is home to one of the world’s oldest universities and a trove of protected heritage monuments. So why haven’t you heard more about it? The answer is Venice. The tourist honeypot located 40km to the east casts a long shadow over the region.
Padova’s arcaded streets and charming piazze have an authentic feel. The daily rhythm of local people going about their business is all in stark contrast to the commercialised and saturated – both metaphorically and at times, literally – walkways of Venice. To my shame, my only previous visit to Padova had involved parking the car and catching the train to Venice, but I was here to put that right.
Padova’s old city is surrounded by embattlements and man-made waterways that date back to the ancient Romans. The university – a significant contributor to the population – is where Galileo Galilei spent two decades adding to the sum of human knowledge in geometry and astronomy.
Padova has two UNESCO World Heritage Sites; the Botanical Gardens and a collection of 14th-century frescoes, housed in four clusters across the city. Choosing just one, the enchanting Scrovegni Chapel would be my top recommendation, though visits must be booked at least a day in advance.
Prato della Valle is the largest town square in Italy, organised around an elegant elliptical water feature. This usually tranquil spot is transformed into a hive of activity on market day. If you are looking for a bite to eat, try some Bigoli – a thick spaghetti often served with sardines or anchovies (“Bigoli con salsa”) or with a duck ragu. L’Officina al Bersagliere on Via Donatello, a short walk from Prato della Valle, was a mouthwatering and welcoming lunchtime find.
The Club
Padova Calcio has endured a roller-coaster existence since its foundation in 1910. Their zenith came in the 1950s when, under the godfather of catenaccio, Nereo Rocco, they achieved an improbable third-place finish in Serie A. However, Rocco’s departure to AC Milan marked the beginning of the club’s decline; by the late-1960s, the club had sunk to the semi-professional strata.
Padova briefly returned to the top-flight in the mid-1990s, recording memorable victories over AC Milan, Inter and Juventus, but this could not be sustained. The Bianocscudati once again slipped into Serie B, then Serie C and, finally, the oblivion of bankruptcy in 2014. The re-born club are currently competing for promotion at the summit of Serie C.
The club wear white shirts with red trim mirroring the colours of the civic coat of arms. Historic rivalries exist with Vicenza (50km west) and Venezia (40km east). Cittadella (40km north) triggered hostilities around the turn of the Millennium when they rebranded as Cittadella Padova and began to stage games in Padova for a short time. Since the early 1980s, Padova have enjoyed an unlikely friendship (gemellaggio) with Palermo; Padovani colours will often be seen on the away curva when Palermo play matches in the northeast of the country.
The most famous player to pull on the Padova jersey in recent decades is undoubtedly Alessandro Del Piero, a product of the Padova youth system. Meanwhile, future Italian internationals Demetrio Albertini, Angelo Di Livio, Cristiano Lucarelli, and Stephan El Sharaway have all enjoyed spells with the club.
The club has a historic connection to English football. They have been managed by two former England internationals in Herbert Burgess (1922-26 and 1928-29) and Frank Soo (1951-52), whilst forward Charles Adcock (1946-48) became the first Briton to play professionally in Italy during the post-war years.
The Stadium
Stadio Euganeo has endured something of a cursed existence since its inception.
Ominously, the design of architect Gino Zavanella had previously been discarded for the World Cup stadium in Turin. Although construction began in 1989, inauguration was delayed until 1994 amidst a bribery scandal during the procurement process. Even then, it had only three of its four sides and the roof had not yet been added. Upon completion, the capacity was 32,000, although it’s been many years since either that, or the current modified capacity of 18,000, was troubled.
The location of the stadium on the northern edge of the city, 5km from the historic centre is a primary reason why supporters have never taken to their new home. The other reason is the athletics track surrounding the pitch, which leaves spectators squinting at the action in the distance.
By contrast, the Padova’s tumbledown former home Stadio Appiani was centrally located and its nickname – The Lion’s Den – tells you all you need to know about the visceral atmosphere created in the old place. The Appiani is still used for youth games and, nearly 30 years after the move, there are more than a handful of Padovani who dream of a return to their historic home.
Stadio Euganeo today exists in a state of limbo. Construction work began in 2021 to eliminate the athletics track and bring the Curva Sud closer to the field. But with echoes of earlier problems, construction work halted when irregularities in the contracting process came to light. The site was seized in November 2022 and has remained partially complete since. It is hoped that work will recommence later in 2024.
The Match
The majority of fans travel to the stadium by car and use the large car parks behind the Curva Sud. A bus does run from the city to the stadium, but the service unhelpfully finishes before the final whistle for evening matches. I took a taxi from my hotel in the centre of town to the stadium (€12).
There is a relatively limited offering of food, drink and merchandise in and around the stadium; however, the Padova ultras have a base just behind the Curva Sud. It’s a fantastic place to soak up the atmosphere and they were more than happy to serve a beer and sell me a scarf before the game.
Options to buy merchandise in the city are few and far between; the Macron store (Padova’s kit manufacturer) is located in the suburbs on the other side of town, though I did find shirts on sale at Non Solo Sport in the historic centre. In the run-up to Christmas 2023, the club also opened a temporary city centre store selling a wider range of goods.
There is a bijou museum in the lobby of the stadium, which takes a chronological walk through the club history. It contains photographic displays, a model of the stadium and a recently added section covering the years 2010-2024 brings the museum right up to date. It can be visited on non-matchdays or if you arrive early enough on the day of the match (enter via Tribuna Ovest, Gate C, no charge). The welcoming staff also invited me in to look at the trophies and pennants on the wall of the club offices.
Padova’s typical home attendance is around the 3-4,000 mark, so obtaining tickets is not a problem. Digital match tickets were bought online via vivaticket (prices from €12 for adults) and I took my place on the Tribuna Est, the temporary home of the ultras whilst the Curva Sud is out of commission. Even as kick-off approached for the Monday night fixture against Renate, the game was in doubt as the rain teemed down.
Stadio Euganeo’s grey concrete and steel structure has a foreboding air, accentuated under dark skies and driving rain. Those melancholic tones are interrupted only by a large graffito that adorns the exterior of the Tribuna Est. The image of a boy and a girl gazing at a Padovano heart is the work of a local street artist and was installed in 2023.
However, the stadium’s bleak exterior was in contrast to the colour and energy inside. A small partisan crowd generated a superb atmosphere throughout the 90 minutes. Undoubtedly, the most rewarding aspect of visiting a club further down the hierarchy is the opportunity to witness this kind of passion up close. The Padova fans were generous in their hospitality and were proud to welcome a visitor to their home.
The opponents, Renate, brought a grand total of zero supporters, their absence providing something of a drag on the atmosphere. This could charitably be attributed to the long journey from the Lombardian lakes and the treacherous weather, but in practice, they only attract 3-400 hundred tifosi to home matches.
On the night, the difficult conditions contributed to a lack of fluency on the pitch. As the rain continued to pour down, Padova spluttered to a 0-0 draw, a result that nonetheless preserved their unbeaten start to the season.
Thanks for reading! If you’re contemplating a trip to watch football in Italy, check out our Italian football travel guide for an array of useful hints and tips.
Calcio England 
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