- Address: Viale dei Gladiatori, Rome
- Country: Italian Republic
- Capacity: 70,000
- Opened: 17 May 1953
- Main use: Football
- Tenants: AS Roma (football), Lazio (football)
Extra stadium info – Stadio Olimpico
The stadium is also used for athletics, concerts and rugby union. It opened with a match between the national football teams of the Italian Republic and Hungary. The stadium was one of the venues for the Games of the Olympiad in 1960. In 1968, the Stadio Olimpico hosted its first-ever UEFA European Football Championship final. The national football team of the Italian Republic were crowned European football champions for the first time in their history after winning the tournament. In 1977, the stadium’s first-ever final of the European championship for football clubs was won by Liverpool Football Club from the United Kingdom after defeating Borussia Mönchengladbach from Germany.
The FIFA World Cup
The venue hosted several 1990 FIFA World Cup games. The first-ever FIFA World Cup game at the Stadio Olimpico was won by the Italian Republic, commonly known as Italy, after beating Austria 1-0. The world championship game took place on 9 June 1990. The venue hosted the final of the 1990 FIFA World Cup. 73,000 people attended the football match.
AS Roma and SS Lazio
Associazione Sportiva Roma and their arch-rivals Società Sportiva Lazio use the Stadio Olimpico for home games. They are among the most successful football clubs from the Italian Republic, also known as Italy. AS Roma was founded in 1927 and they won their first domestic league title in 1942. SS Lazio was founded in 1900 and they won their first domestic league title in 1974. In 1984, AS Roma became the first football club from Rome in a European championship final. The final took place at the Stadio Olimpico. AS Roma drew an average home attendance of 52,000 during that domestic league season. Their rivals Lazio drew an average home attendance of 46,000 during that domestic league season.
The European championship final in 1984
AS Roma lost the European championship final against the English side Liverpool FC in 1984. They lost the match in a penalty shoot-out. Francesco Graziani stepped up to take the fourth penalty of AS Roma. While he was placing the ball on the penalty spot, Bruce David Grobbelaar was wobbling his legs in the Liverpool FC goal, hoping to distract Graziani. Francesco Graziani missed his penalty against Bruce Grobbelaar, who played numerous matches for the national football team of Zimbabwe. Alan Kennedy was the next player to take a penalty. Liverpool FC won the match after he scored his penalty.
Silvio Piola and Francesco Totti
The former forward Silvio Piola, who became the highest goalscorer of all time in the history of the Italian top-flight football league, played for Lazio. The former forward Francesco Totti, who became the second-highest goalscorer of all time in Italian league history, played for AS Roma. Totti, who was born in the city of Rome, also became the oldest goalscorer in UEFA Champions League history. He was aged 38 years and 59 days when he became the oldest goalscorer in the history of the continental football tournament.
