Stadio Luigi Ferraris

Stadio Luigi Ferraris

Marassi
Former names	Stadio Marassi
Location	Genoa, Italy
Owner	Municipality of Genoa
Capacity	36,599
Surface	Grass 105 × 68 meters
Construction
Opened	22 January 1911
Renovated	1982
Tenants
Genoa C.F.C. (1911-present) U.C. Sampdoria (1946-present)

Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris, also known as the Marassi from the name of the neighbourhood where it is located, is a multi-use stadium in Genoa, Italy. It opened in 1911 and is one of the oldest stadiums still in use for football and other sports in Italy. Aside from football, the stadium has hosted meetings of rugby in the Italian national team and, more rarely, some concerts.

It was originally built by Genoa C.F.C. in 1909, and maintained as their private property. In 1933, the stadium was named after the former Genoa captain, Luigi Ferraris. During World War II it was passed to municipal ownership. It is currently used for football matches for Genoa and (since 1946) Sampdoria. It also plays host to rugby union matches. It holds 36,599 spectators. English football club Preston North End original plans for their redeveloped Deepdale stadium were inspired by the Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris with work starting in 1995. The ground was finally completed in 2008.

Notable matches

The stadium was inaugurated on 22 January 1911 with a football match between Genoa and Internazionale, and had a capacity of 20,000. On 22 December 1912, it hosted its first international, in which Italy lost 3–1 to Austria in a friendly.

It has also hosted the 1934 World Cup quarter-final match between Spain and Brazil, and by then its capacity had been expanded to 30,000.

The stadium was dismantled and rebuilt before the 1990 FIFA World Cup, for which it hosted three Group C matches (between Costa Rica, Scotland and Sweden) and a round-of-16 match between the Republic of Ireland and Romania.

The highest attendance at the Luigi Ferraris was 60,000 on 27 February 1949, for a match between Italy and Portugal.

On 12 October 2010, a Euro 2012 qualifier between Italy and Serbia was abandoned after Serbia fans continued to throw flares onto the pitch and light fireworks. When the game finally began, more flares and fireworks were thrown onto the field and the referee stopped the match after only six minutes of play.

On 29 February 2012, the United States defeated Italy 1–0 in a friendly played at the stadium. It was the first time that Italy had been defeated in Genoa and the first time that the US had ever defeated Italy.

Average attendances

Season	Genoa		Sampdoria
	Average	Tier	Average	Tier
1970–71	?	C1	23,177	A
1971–72	15,357	B	22,527	A
1972–73	30,166	B	21,344	A
1973–74	29,510	A	23,837	A
1974–75	18,840	B	18,724	A
1975–76	24,357	B	22,457	A
1976–77	34,327	A	23,300	A
1977–78	34,300	A	15,133	B
1978–79	19,709	B	13,348	B
1979–80	24,304	B	18,060	B
1980–81	18,894	B	15,802	B
1981–82	34,767	B	21,254	B
1982–83	34,290	A	34,504	A
1983–84	26,706	A	30,162	A
1984–85	11,405	B	32,544	A
1985–86	14,878	B	26,296	A
1986–87	20,002	B	26,655	A
1987–88	9,856	B	17,586	A
1988–89	17,292	B	17,959	A
1989–90	26,789	A	26,120	A
1990–91	31,063	A	31,372	A
1991–92	31,063	A	31,372	A

Season	Genoa		Sampdoria
	Average	Tier	Average	Tier
1992–93	27,803	A	30,856	A
1993–94	26,391	A	30,616	A
1994–95	21,717	A	27,550	A
1995–96	11,229	B	26,070	A
1996–97	13,084	B	26,187	A
1997–98	12,848	B	24,482	A
1998–99	12,961	B	20,463	A
1999–2000	12,928	B	16,709	B
2000–01	15,512	B	16,476	B
2001–02	16,159	B	13,069	B
2002–03	12,371	B	21,802	B
2003–04	17,347	B	26,224	A
2004–05	21,449	B	23,669	A
2005–06	17,577	C1	22,688	A
2006–07	19,934	B	19,036	A
2007–08	24,745	A	21,888	A
2008–09	26,583	A	23,323	A
2009–10	27,007	A	25,240	A
2010–11	23,446	A	23,330	A
2011–12	20,898	A	20,854	B
2012–13	19,740	A	23,123	A
2013-14	20,055	A	22,158	A

1990 FIFA World Cup

The stadium was one of the venues of the 1990 FIFA World Cup, and held the following matches:

Date	Team #1	Res.	Team #2	Round
1990-06-11	Costa Rica	1–0	Scotland	Group C
1990-06-16	Sweden	1–2	Scotland	Group C
1990-06-20	Sweden	1–2	Costa Rica	Group C
1990-06-25	Republic of Ireland	0–0 (5–4 on penalties)	Romania	Round of 16

External links

• Stadio Luigi Ferraris on Russian Sampdoria website
• World Stadiums Article
• Stadium Guide Article