Episode Transcript
here at the Renzo of Barbera. Cold, windy. Very British. Very British, isn't it? We brought Britain with us. Let's go through some of the more glorious times. I'll put out more of those names there. Dan Miccoli, Cavani, Amauri, Ilicic, Gilardino Dybala, Grosso, Zaccardo Toni, the World Cup heroes that played here, there's also Barzagli. I mean, it takes you back to a different era of Serie A.
We saw them in the immortalized in the entry of the ground, all of them I mean it's fair to say that Palermo have seen better days but the Ultras are having a good time even though they are getting soaked wet, they've been getting soaked wet since the start of the game. Palermo have seen better days, new ownership now, the Zamparini era out is over, City Group taken over, brought them backup from
They took over in Serie C I believe but they have come up the ranks over past three, four years. Fans unhappy with certain things. Probably should be pleased with a lot of things. I mean you would think so. You're right, they're in the play-off spot. If they win tonight they will move the table and... Happy day. To be honest, know, it's not...
not been amazing progress this season but it's been steady progress solid enough. and that's fine we won't go through the season this is more of a video about Palermo how to get to the stadium we're gonna talk about the city itself you haven't seen much I've seen a bit of it because I got here yesterday you arrived this morning early doors for you at Stansted Airport yeah yeah yeah early doors you know 4am flight it's Sorry, a 4am wake up call and 7am flight yeah 4am flight would be brutal but Palermo Catanzaro and Zaddle is the game that we're here to
see, Serie B action two sides, Catanzaro with some hope of making the Playoffs. Palermo were in the playoffs last season. They are looking for a goal, that header, a beautiful ball in from Ranocchia there.
David Ferrini (01:58.99)
It is ,we're at a point in history where those names ,we'll run off a few more to bring those Palermo fans back to those days that finished fifth three four times in Serie A back then. Sirigu, Brienza, Fabio Simplicio, Pastore. I mean literally a proper who's is who, you know, iconic players of the early 2000s. at that. then Lafferty. Well yeah Kyle Lafferty, you know, he'll be watching the Rangers Celtic in the League Cup final today. Yeah, there's a bit of an Anglo influence here and there.
Bresciano from Australia was here. well they've got an American, Kristoffer Lund. He was the number three. Lorenzo Lucca, who now plays for Udinese, was here in his formative years and now they've got Matteo Brunori up forward. But the pedigree that they had, amazing, Palermo the fifth largest city in Italy, and is by far the largest in Sicily, Catania being the next biggest.
It's second biggest in stadium in Serie B and it's one of the most stunning and atmospheric in Italy. I mean the backdrop is magnificent.
I mean they have the second-highest average attendance. Ball! Keeper comes. Did he take the player? Pigliacelli Acelli is the ex-Palermo keeper. playing for Catanzaro now. Every time he touches the ball the crowd go off at him. Here they go again. Lund into the middle! Shot comes. Good block. But then going back to the stadium as he was saying. Yeah, they've got the second-highest average attendance. They this season and they get in. Just a shade under 22,000 which is impressive by Serie A's standards let alone Serie B's.
It just goes to show how passionate.
David Ferrini (03:40.428)
The locals are about football. Yeah and Emmet begins his stadium guide, we've got that on DestinationCalcio.com. Palermo, they're arguably one of the Italian football sleeping giants. is, yeah, absolutely. Yeah, so what were you saying, what's the capacity here off the top of your head? It's just under 36,000 I believe. And then, yeah 22,000 is an average attendance this season, it's impressive when you consider that. Yeah, it's 100 years old. You know, yeah, and you know.
As I said earlier, they came out from Serie C a couple of seasons ago and they very much in the rebuilding phase, new ownership all of that Serie A is obviously the target but you know...
It's an impressive crowd, even on a day like today, well let's face it, the weather has not been what I thought it would be. It is overcoat weather, the Catanzaro and Zanle fans, you have to give credit to them as well, we'll show them that they are out the pouring rain. The ultras from Palermo, the Curva Nord, everyone else, we're not, we're in the media stand, luckily for us. Thanks to the club for giving us those. And how to get to Stadio Renzo van Barbera on...
the destinationcalcio.com website. It's better located in the north of the city, for those of you don't know, approximately three kilometres away from the city centre, five kilometres from Palermo's main train station. It's probably about a 20-minute drive from the airport you landed this morning. Probably took you, what, 30 minutes to get to the city centre. And we drove here, found very convenient parking thanks to the police officers out in the front.
and getting here from the train station or by bus. It's all there, also by car, thanks to Emmet Gates who wrote the Palermo Stadium Guide. Also how to buy tickets and you can go to PalermoFC.com
David Ferrini (05:20.942)
check out the website there, you get tickets on the rest of it, Viva Ticket. Let's go through the city itself. You haven't seen much of it. It's our first time here. I was here yesterday, the main piazza there with the Christmas markets. So I put some of that footage in. And that is a really lovely time of year to be anywhere. They've got the Christmas playlist, Dan, and it is mainly Mariah Carey and everything you'll hear back in London.
We were treated to that before kick off, weren't we? Yeah, we went for a coffee. But going through the city of the Palermo Cathedral, the Santa Catarina Church, the Norman Palace, the Piazza Pretoria, San Giuseppe dei Teatini, the Zisa, and the Teatro Politeamo, which is where we're staying, and right next to it is Piazza Castel Nuovo, and there it is. That's where the Christmas markets are.
We had a wee little coffee there this morning. Yeah, which was lovely. Much needed as well after being awake in the early hours of the morning. I mean, no, from what I've seen, looks lovely. again, you'll struggle to find a place in Italy that doesn't have a bit of history, a bit of art, to, you know, get you going, get you in the mood. It's an If you actually I looked at.
go and look up the history of Palermo itself, especially not just Sicily, you've got the Arabic, you've got the Greek influence, you've also got the Viking influence, the Normans, that's why we've got the palace here, but the Scandinavians came through, call them Scandinavians now, Normans back then, Vikings if you will, and Kristoffer Lund, their left back, he's a Dane that plays for the US, his mum's an American, we're gonna have a chat to him, that's coming up on destinationcalcio.com, so we're gonna have a video interview and written for you.
But plenty of history here. is an old city, about 1.2 million people, fifth most populated in Italy. Dan, what else is here that we could tell the viewers? Cultural, economic, tourism, history. Well, we're talking about influence. is English influence as well, because Palermo were actually founded as an English football club. And they were actually, believe it not, they were playing in red and blue. And then...
David Ferrini (07:32.91)
They were told to change the red and blue as I understand it because it was just too common. And pink and black was the colour of sweetness and bitterness. That's why they wear pink and black because you get both contrasts. The extremes are both. And if that's not what football is about. It is, yeah, yeah, absolutely is. So just having a look at the history of the club itself obviously reformed this Palermo Football Club. they've just scored the winner, Catanzaro.
And that is not going to go down well with the fans here but that was a delightful strike on the left. It is Pompetti, So, Catanzaro fans will be happy. Catanzaro just coincidentally is probably about a four hour drive you think from here because it's on that toe of Italy. Yeah, but when you consider it takes three hours to get to Catania by train from here I wouldn't like to make any prediction as how long it will take to get to Catanzaro. Yeah.
However long it takes, their fans deserve enormous credit as you said earlier. They've been getting soaked. They've been getting soaked, yeah. From literally kick off. Well Palermo, look, unfortunately for them, they've been absolutely pounding that other end. Yeah, they have, yeah. Catanzaro's come down against the run of play and they have sizzled one home. Maybe check out the Serie B highlights for that one on the Lega B channel and also we'll see what we can do in the new year , Dan. Let's see if we can get some highlights happening.
with another announcement coming towards the end of 2024. Can you believe we're already here six months into Destination Calcio, It's incredible, isn't it? Let's talk about what we have on the DestinationCalcio.com website in regards to Palermo. Plenty of talk about this Serie B season. The stadium guide also there for the Renzo Barbera. I think we'll leave it there. And we will catch up with you guys next time. DestinationCalcio.com. David Ferrini, Dan Cancian.
