I’m releasing this article in conjunction with my tips for attending games in different countries piece, this one focused on my own experience at various home games throughout Europe (11 games, in 7 leagues across 6 countries), where I will rate each home stadium for various factors; ease of getting tickets, atmosphere, anticipation, quality of football, and value for money.
Celtic, Celtic Park, Glasgow 🏴
The first game I ever attended (apart from my hometown Dundalk) was Celtic vs. Aberdeen. Roy Keane had recently signed for Celtic and my Dad wanted to catch him playing live before his impending retirement (fun fact: I later met Roy Keane outside the Huddersfield Town ground). I am not a Celtic fan, but I did appreciate being able to see a player of Roy Keane’s magnitude line up alongside stalwarts of Martin O’Neill’s Celtic (John Hartson, Artur Boruc, Shunsuke Nakamura, Neil Lennon and Bobo Balde to name a few), and appreciate memory I made that weekend with my Dad.
Ease of getting tickets: 2/5 Celtic, being one of the 2 juggernauts of Scottish football, leave you with competition for tickets – however, they are attainable for day fans.
Anticipation: 2/5 As mentioned above, Celtic are juggernauts. No team outside of them or Rangers have won the Scottish league since 1985, when Aberdeen won it under the legendary Alex Ferguson. The game was pretty much a foregone conclusion before kick off, with Celtic storming home with the title.
Atmosphere: 4/5 The Celtic fans are known for the atmosphere at games for a reason and this lived up to the hype. I was glad to get a baptism of fire on my trip to Glasgow.
Quality of football: 2/5 Scottish football isn’t as bad as it is made out to be by some football, under no circumstances is at on par with League 1 in England, but it is still a bit off the top leagues in Europe, and this comes from a time when Scottish clubs were a little more competitive.
Value for money: 3/5 The ticket didn’t break the bank (my Dad’s bank) but tickets aren’t exactly the cheapest either.
Fortuna Düsseldorf, Merkur Spiel-Arena, Düsseldorf 🇩🇪
Ease of getting tickets: 5/5 We got tickets to see Fortuna Düsseldorf play in the 2. Bundesliga, during their run for promotion, and got tickets with ease. Even post-promotion in the Bundesliga Fortuna play in a mammoth 54,000 seat stadium, and only come close to filling it vs. local rivals and the big teams in the Bundesliga. If you want to witness a German football game, Düsseldorf is a safe shout.
Anticipation: 4/5 Düsseldorf were chasing promotion to the Bundesliga and a victory in this match would have had them virtually guaranteed to go up. They lost, but went up regardless.
Atmosphere: 4/5 For being one of the lesser supported clubs in this region of Germany, their fans were relentless. Singing the whole way through with an electric atmosphere. Whilst the Bochum fans enjoyed a victory over their neighbouring club.
Quality of football: 3/5 The top of the second division in Germany offered a decent standard of football. No world class superstars on the field, but the game was still played to a competitive level.
Value for money: 5/5 The tickets to the game cost us €17 euro, and food/drink inside the stadium were reasonably priced. A very affordable day out all around.
1 FC Köln, Müngersdorfer Stadion, Köln 🇩🇪
Ease of getting tickets: 3/5 This game was played coming into crunch time of the 2017/2018 season, and Köln were fighting to avoid relegation. This result all but condemned them to go down regardless. But the fact it was played at such a crucial part of the season made securing tickets somewhat difficult and the game did sell out, this was evidenced by an American offering us over market value for our tickets on the tram to the stadium.
Anticipation: 4/5 As mentioned above, this game was do or die for Köln, but sadly, in this instance Köln died… well they got relegated.
Atmosphere: 4/5 German fans are extremely vocal and fanatic, and are known worldwide for the atmosphere they generate, and although this match was a big occasion for both Köln and Mainz, the fans did not let up for the duration of the game.
Quality of football: 2/5 The game itself was a rather dull affair. Although we did get to witness German World Cup winner Jonas Hector, and the legendary Claudio Pizarro line up for the home side.
Value for money: 3/5 Sadly this game was not as cheap as the Düsseldorf game, but inside the stadium was roughly the same price for food and drink.
Huddersfield Town, John Smith Stadium, Huddersfield 🏴
Ease of getting tickets: 4/5 A call to the Huddersfield ticket office, and the tickets were mine. Just needed to collect them from the office at the ground on match day.
Anticipation: 1/5 This game featured 2 teams that had survived their maiden season after promotion in the premier league (Cardiff were the opposition), with both teams anticipated to be relegated, so there wasn’t a lot of excitement. We only attended as we were in Leeds for Leeds fest, and had a few days to kill, and apart from the game, Huddersfield was a nice day out.
Atmosphere: 2/5 Due to an uninspiring game in front of us, there was a glib atmosphere at the stadium. However John Smiths on tap, and friendly fans did lead to a nice afternoon.
Quality of football: 1/5 This game has been referred to as one of the worst in Premier League history, the only noteworthy incident to happen during the game was a red card which I had incidentally missed in Chris Kamara fashion. Neil Warnock was the Cardiff manager at the time, however.
Value for money: 2/5 £30 for a sub-par premier league game. I mean, it’s still a premier league game. But it was as low key as you could probably go.
Crystal Palace, Selhurst Park, London 🏴
Ease of getting tickets: 1/5 Crystal Palace games are actually quite difficult to attend without being a member as they’re currently the only Premier League team south of the River Thames, so to get 4 tickets for this, we ended up having to buy 2 memberships – which was costly before even getting the tickets.
Anticipation: 4/5 Manchester City were in a close title race with Liverpool and a win this day would have them maintain the pace towards the title.
Atmosphere: 3/5 Crystal Palace have some of the best fans in England, and they could be heard throughout the stadium. But they lack the same volume as their German counterparts.
Quality of football: 5/5 There were many big names on both teams: David Silva, Vincent Kompany, Leroy Sané, Sergio Aguero… the list goes on for City, whilst Palace had Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Wilfried Zaha and Christian Benteke on the field for them.
Value for money: 2/5 The game itself was brilliant, food and drink in the stadium were affordable, but having to get membership for one game makes this a little less solid if you want to get some bang for your buck.
Willem II, Konig Willem II Stadion, Tilburg 🇳🇱
Ease of getting tickets: 4/5 I had e-mailed in advance of the game and was assured I could just rock up to the stadium and buy my ticket on match day as it was unlikely to sell out.
Anticipation: 2/5 We travelled from Eindhoven and originally had tickets for a PSV game, however it was rescheduled due to the Europa League, so Tilburg was the next closest Eredivisie game on that weekend. We hadn’t knowledge of the club or their opponents (FC Emmen) going into the game.
Atmosphere: 4/5 The Willem II supporters were ferocious. Drowning the stadium in noise for the full 90 minutes and before and after. It was a very welcoming club, with brilliant fans.
Quality of football: 2/5 Two of the lesser known Eredivisie sides competing in a decent game. It was a good match when you contextualise it like that, but it’s not as competitive a level as other top level European leagues.
Value for money: 5/5 The ticket cost €17, and chips/beer inside the ground were roughly what you’d pay on the street for them. It was a good, cheap day out.
Manchester City, Etihad Stadium, Manchester 🏴
Ease of getting tickets: 2/5 For a stadium often referred to as the ‘Emptihad’ by rival fans, it was difficult to get tickets for a game, even getting seats for a “lesser” game against Southampton proved difficult.
Anticipation: 3/5 City had just just breezed past Southampton in the League Cup 3 days previously, and Leicester beat them 9-0 in Southampton in their game before that. It had all the signs of another wipeout (surprisingly Southampton went ahead before City pulled 2 goals back).
Atmosphere: 1/5 We were in a supporters club across the road from the stadium before kick off, and the atmosphere was better there than inside the stadium. I’ve seen videos from the 90s in City’s old ground where there was deafening noise, but that hasn’t translated to the Etihad. Chants would die out pretty much as soon as they started.
Quality of football: 5/5 Again, City boasted a team of global and domestic stars: Kevin de Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Raheem Sterling to name a few, whilst Southampton boasted Alex McCarthy and Jan Vestergaard.
Value for money: 3/5 Paying £40 for a pretty much pitch side seat in a game at the top of the Premier League isn’t that bad.
Borussia Mönchengladbach, Borussia Park, Mönchengladbach 🇩🇪
Ease of getting tickets: 4/5 Borussia Mönchengladbach were a dominant side in the 70s, and were top of the Bundesliga for a good period leading up to Christmas. For a sleeping giant to be competitive again, I was surprised how easy it was to get tickets for the game, even if it was just against Mainz
Anticipation: 5/5 For a team, actively competing for the league, there was a lot of anticipation for kick off.
Atmosphere: 5/5 We were sat opposite the ultras and they gave it their all for 90 minutes.
Quality of football: 4/5 Some amazing football was played directly in front of us, with amazing goals scored, and some brilliant build up play as well. Marcus Thuram, one of the highest rated rookies in the Bundesliga was on the field, alongside established internationals such as Yann Sommer, Lars Stindl and Fabian Johnson.
Value for money: 5/5 The tickets were cheap (€18) and the food/drink inside the stadium was okay priced. An affordable day out all around!
Bayer Leverkusen, BayArena, Leverkusen 🇩🇪
Ease of getting tickets: 5/5 German football had just fully opened their stadiums again for the first time since the pandemic started. This should have been a sell out blockbuster, but there were scores of empty seats there.
Anticipation: 3/5 Bayer Leverkusen were on a big push to cement their position in the top 4 to qualify for the Champions League, Hertha we’re trying to get out of the relegation spots. Both teams had a lot to play for.
Atmosphere: 2/5 After experiencing blockbuster crowds at other German games, I was disappointed with how dull the atmosphere at Leverkusen was. Especially since the team are pushing for a top 4 finish. The Hertha Fans were loud and passionate with flares, the Leverkusen ultras made a bit of noise, but all in all, it wasn’t a great atmosphere.
Quality of football: 4/5 Leverkusen are one of the best teams in Germany, with superstars like Moussa Diaby, Patrik Schik and Jonathan Tah on the field. Hertha had stars like Dedryck Boyata on the field, and Stevan Jovetic on the bench. A high standard of football
Value for money: 3/5 €60 for both tickets is reasonable. I couldn’t complain about the price I paid for the tickets. Drinks inside were €5 for beer, but you get refunded €2 for returning the plastic cup.
CSKA Sofia vs Levski Sofia (The Eternal Derby of Bulgarian Football), Vasil Levski Stadium, Sofia 🇧🇬
Ease of getting tickets: 5/5 I had bought the tickets the night before from the Urbo app, and numerous seats remained empty in the stadium.
Anticipation: 5/5 A heated Eastern European derby, what’s not to anticipate? CSKA vs Levski has been rated the 2nd most intense rivalry in Eastern Europe, and both fan bases are very passionate. Although the league had been decided, the teams would still want a win in a fiery affair.
Atmosphere: 4/5 A half empty stadium, where flares, fireworks and deafening chants remained throughout the game. There was an element of far-right fans in both clubs, which is the reason I didn’t give this 5/5. I can’t sit comfortably when I see fans of both clubs throwing up Nazi salutes.
Quality of football: 1/5 Bulgaria isn’t renowned for being a huge footballing country. Whilst players like Dimitar Berbatov and Hristo Stoichov come from Bulgaria, neither of them are active – and besides a Brazilian named Tsunami, I didn’t see much quality on the field. Alan Pardew was the CSKA manager however, which was peculiar.
Value for money: 3/5 the tickets cost 30 Lev altogether, which is about €7 each – to see the 2 biggest Bulgarian clubs play each other… decent, even if the quality was poor. Popcorn, and water inside the stadium were cheap too – however there was no alcohol sold on the premises.
Lazio, Stadio Olimpico, Rome 🇮🇹
Ease of getting tickets: 3/5 It was a rather convoluted process ordering the tickets online, and we ended up having to use an external ticket company (Tickazilla) to ensure we got tickets, but I believe you can buy them from Lazio fan shops around the city.
Anticipation: 4/5 It was Lazio’s first game of the 2022-2023 Serie A season, Lazio vs. Bologna, and the fans were eager to see their team in action again.
Atmosphere: 5/5 Our seats were in the home end, and being surrounded by Italian football fans was an experience I’d love to experience again. They sang and cheered on Lazio with ferocious volume for the entire game. Getting to see irate Italians whenever a refereeing decision goes against them is an added bonus.
Quality of football: 4/5 Lazio’s starting 11 included Euro 2020 winner Ciro Immobile, former West Ham star Felipe Anderson, and their wider squad boasted Spanish World Cup winner Pedro (formerly of Chelsea and Barcelona). Bizarrely Benito Mussolini’s great-grandson – Roman Floriani-Mussolini was also in the Lazio squad, whilst chain-smoking Maurizio Sarri was manager. The Bologna team was home to former Premier League stars Marco Arnautovic and Gary Medel.
Value for money: 3/5 The tickets were relatively pricey at €40, I wouldn’t pay much more than that to go see a football team I don’t actually support/have not affinity with. However, once inside, Peroni is €5, and the atmosphere in the grounds was definitely worth the price paid.
FC Bayern, Munich 🇩🇪
Ease of getting tickets: 2/5 The website stated the game was sold out, so I had kind of lost hope of attending the game, but after e-mailing the ticket office, I was lucky enough to get 2 tickets (I must try this at Dortmund)
Anticipation: 5/5 Bayern were fully embroiled in a title race at this crunch stage of the season, and Schalke were trying to avoid relegation. It was a must win match for both, for different reasons. But both teams can’t win.
Atmosphere: 4/5 For a table top, 6-0 game, I expected the home crowd to be a lot more ferocious. The Schalke crowd frequently out-sang them, although the atmosphere was generally still very good throughout.
Quality of football: 5/5 The pitch was scattered with established international footballers (well, Bayerns squad was). Boasting German Internationals like Thomas Müller, Serge Gnabry, Leon Goretzka, Joshua Kimmich, Leroy Sane, and foreign imports like Yann Sommer (Switzerland), Sadio Mane (Senegal), Matthijs De Ligt and Daley Blind (Netherlands), Kingsley Coman and Benjamin Pavard (France). Whilst the most notable name in Schalke’s squad was the loanee from Liverpool, Sepp Van Den Berg.
Value for money: 3/5 This was quite a pricy ticket location, but the cheaper seats rightfully went to die hard fans who travel every home game to see their beloved Bayern play. So in that regard, I didn’t mind paying extra as a tourist just to experience a Bayern match day. And inside the ground, beverages and snacks were reasonably priced.
Bonus:
I get that not everyone is as interested in football as I may be, but everyone loves a fluffy mascot so I’ve created a little collage of the mascots from Willem II, Manchester City, Crystal Palace – who have a live eagle in addition to the fluffy mascot, and Huddersfield Town:
And last but not least, our chance encounter with Roy Keane in Huddersfield:
