Udinese Calcio tickets at the Bluenergy Stadium in Udine

Udinese tickets: Serie A away from the tourist routes

Udine sits in Friuli, closer to Ljubljana and Klagenfurt than to Milan, and the club founded in 1896 has held its place in Serie A almost without interruption for three decades — remarkable for a city of 100,000 people. "Le Zebrette", the little zebras in their black-and-white shirts, built a reputation for finding players before anyone else does.

Their greatest international success came in 2000, when they won the UEFA Intertoto Cup, taking the second leg of the final 4-2 after extra time against Sigma Olomouc.

The players who came through here

Friuli has never lacked well-known names: Dino Zoff, Roberto Sensini, Andrea Carnevale, Vincenzo Iaquinta, Stephen Appiah, Carsten Jancker, Alexander Manninger and Jens Stryger Larsen all wore the shirt with the inverted V. Udinese have produced Serie A's top scorer four times: club legend Antonio "Toto" di Natale twice in a row, in 2010 and 2011, alongside European champion Oliver Bierhoff in 1998 and Brazilian Marcio Amoroso in 1999, who later played for Borussia Dortmund.

"Zico or Austria"

The club's most famous story dates from 1983. Udinese wanted to sign the Brazilian superstar Zico, and the Italian federation doubted a club of that size could manage it — particularly with Juventus and AS Roma chasing the same player. The ultras issued an ultimatum that entered club folklore: "Zico or Austria."

The reference was real. From 1848 to 1866 Udine was under Austrian administration and known as Weiden in Friaul; only with the Peace of Prague did the region pass to the Kingdom of Italy. The supporters got their way. Zico came, and before returning to Flamengo in 1985 he scored 22 goals in 39 Serie A matches. The journalist Luigi Maffei summed it up in a line still quoted in Udine: "For us in Friuli, Zico is a Ferrari engine in a VW Beetle."

The stadium

The Bluenergy Stadium, still called the Friuli by everyone, was built between 1971 and 1976 to a design by local architect Giuliano Parmegiani; the name commemorates the victims of the 1976 earthquake in the region. Its distinguishing feature is the 33-metre arch over the main stand. The ground lies in the Rizzi district in the north-west of the city.

In 2016 the 1990 World Cup arena became a dedicated football stadium: the running track and athletics facilities were removed, the stands were brought close to the pitch, and all four sides were roofed. Shortly before the renovation was completed, the Guardian described it as "an amphitheatre with style and character". Capacity is around 25,000, which is why tickets for visits from the biggest clubs go quickly.

One date put the ground in front of a global audience: on 4 May 2023, a 1-1 draw in Udine gave Napoli their first Italian championship since the Maradona era.

Why the trip is worth it

Friuli is wine country — Friulano and Ribolla Gialla come from here — and Udine has Venetian-style squares where an afternoon before kick-off fills itself. Trieste and Venice are both day trips, and for visitors from Austria and southern Germany this is one of the most easily reached Serie A destinations of all.

Tickets and hotels

• Official Serie A tickets for home fixtures at the Bluenergy Stadium
• Hotels in Udine and the surrounding region
• Tickets on their own or as a complete package with accommodation, groups welcome

Getting there, and two Italian particularities

Trieste and Venice Marco Polo airports are each around an hour away, and the region is straightforward to reach by car from Carinthia and Slovenia. Kick-off times in Italy are confirmed late, and tickets are personalised — we ask for the names of everyone travelling in good time.

More Italian destinations: Serie A overview.

How to book

Tell us the fixture, your travel dates and how many tickets you need. We will check tickets and hotels and come back with a firm offer.