By Sean Ahern
Football is not merely a sport here in Florence. It has a much higher purpose than that. The city revolves around the club, the Viola. As a first timer attending a European football game, this was nirvana.
It was a typical Florentine Friday as I enjoyed my one class when my roommate and I decided to get tickets to the Fiorentina and Juventus game during the night. As a football superfan, I was more than willing to partake within this rivalry as I have only seen and heard insane things when it came down to this game. Time moved slowly as my anticipation grew to a fever pitch. Suiting up with my Fiorentina jacket, I was ready to toss away my tourist status and become a local. Walking over to the stadium, I heard the fans’ chants grow louder and louder. This surely was not just another Friday night football game, this was going to be war.
Heading to our seats, we noticed the sheer amount of people that were packed into the stadium and realized that this was something that was not of the ordinary. Excitement filled the stadium while the Fiorentina fans sang the songs of the club. I have personally never heard a louder stadium and the voices grew louder with every shot, every foul, and every pass.
Although Fiorentina lost the game two to nil, the atmosphere is something that I will never forget. It was my first real foray as a citizen of this wonderful city, and even though I will forget the names of the restaurants and the gelato places, I will never forget this game.
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