UEFA EURO 2020TM:
Rome – Europe’s capital of passion
Rome loves and agonises over football. The city is marked by a bitter rivalry between its two biggest clubs. There is only one question: red or blue?
Rome loves and agonises over football. The city is marked by a bitter rivalry between its two biggest clubs. There is only one question: red or blue?
This is our local Sophia
Among Fans and Chants
It’s now pandemonium on the streets of Rome! Sophia knows the “Eternal City” inside out. She knows that the streets of Rome can get a bit restless, chaotic and noisy. But aside from a few choice words, she stays calm, keeps her cool and does not get flustered in her ID.41 because the goal is clear: she has to go to the Volkswagen Mobility Experience.
After a short drive through the old town, she finally manages to reach her destination and immerse herself in the Mobility Experience. Fans and football enthusiasts have a heated duel here before the real football match in the evening – at the foosball table.
After a short tour of the Mobility Experience, she goes on to the stadium in the right mood. However, Sophia needs a very special accessory, which she made sure she had beforehand: the Mobility Shirt. As if football shirts weren’t cool enough, this shirt also brings with it the Mobility Service. Simply scan the QR code, book Cooltra – and off you go to the Stadio Olimpico.
1ID.4 - combined power consumption in kWh/100 km: 17,5-15,5; combined CO2 emissions in g/km: 0; efficiency class A+ + +. Displayed vehicle shows optional equipment.
Quarter-Final
July 3
Ukraine – England
The last day in the ‘Eternal City’. Italy have already reached the semi-finals, so there’s a great atmosphere in Rome. But not just because of the ‘Squadra Azzurra’: it’s also thanks to the Ukrainian and English fans, who brought the party to the streets of Rome for the quarter-finals of the UEFA EURO 2020TM Championships.
Sophia was on the road again with her ID.3 in search of this unique atmosphere, which she will probably not experience again in Rome anytime soon. And she still had time to make a quick visit to a club known for its outstanding youth work and talent - which maybe already has the next Italian national player in its ranks.
At the end of the day it was an English night in Rome, with the ‘Three Lions’ enjoying a decisive victory over Ukraine.
Matchday 3
June 20
Italy – Wales
All of Europe is enjoying this summer of football. On Matchday 3, Sofia (@sofiaippoliti) drove her ID.4 through Rome and showed us in a poetic, picturesque way how the city of love leaves us dreaming as we drive by. The evening match was no less magical.
- 2.
- ID.3 - combined power consumption in kWh/100 km: 14,0-12,9; combined CO2 emissions in g/km: 0; efficiency class: A+++. Displayed vehicle shows optional equipment.
- 2.
- ID.3 - combined power consumption in kWh/100 km: 14,0-12,9; combined CO2 emissions in g/km: 0; efficiency class: A+++. Displayed vehicle shows optional equipment.
Matchday 2
June 16
Italy – Switzerland
A moving experience for football and fans!
On the second matchday in Rome, Sophia took us to the Volkswagen Mobility Experience. What did we find there? Great fans, lively atmosphere - and a very special jersey that moves everyone: the Mobility Shirt.
Matchday 1
June 11
Turkey – Italy
A calm start in Rome.
Sophia took us on a tour through the “Eternal City”, where she lives, in her ID.4 on the day of the opening game. Sampling that European Championship air, feeling the vibes among the fans – and finally enjoying the atmosphere in the Stadio Olimpico again. We are ready to go on like this.
- 3.
- ID.4 - combined power consumption in kWh/100 km: 17,5-15,5; combined CO2 emissions in g/km: 0; efficiency class A+++. Displayed vehicle shows optional equipment.
- 3.
- ID.4 - combined power consumption in kWh/100 km: 17,5-15,5; combined CO2 emissions in g/km: 0; efficiency class A+++. Displayed vehicle shows optional equipment.
Rome and the UEFA EURO 2020TM
The party will get underway in Rome. The big opening ceremony takes place at the Stadio Olimpico on 11 June, with the Italians kicking off the tournament afterwards against Turkey. Italy will also play their two other group matches here, and a quarter final will be played in Rome as well. According to current plans, roughly 25 percent of the stadium's capacity, some 16,000 fans, are expected to attend the European championship live.
Italy became European champions at the Stadio Olimpico in 1968, and German fans have fond memories of the stadium as well. It was here that Germany won the World Cup in 1990 with a 1-0 victory over Argentina in the final. Who could forget how Franz Beckenbauer wandered the pitch, lost in thought, after the victory.
Rome and football
Few cities could match the passion with which fans of Rome’s main clubs dislike each other. In Italy's capital, there is only one question: AS or Lazio? The rivalry between the two clubs is one that goes far beyond the pitch. The fan camps are far apart, both geographically and politically. Roma fans are at home in the south of the capital, in the politically left-wing, working-class Testaccio district. Lazio fans, on the other hand, tend to be found in the north of Rome, in the politically right-wing, wealthier Parioli district.
The derby della capitale, the capital derby, has a long tradition; the two clubs met for the first time on 8 December 1929. The first real clash took place in 1931: After a dispute over a throw-in, scuffles broke out on the pitch. The chaos shifted to the stands, where fans engaged in fisticuffs It took 200 mounted police officers to restore order in the stadium. The heated atmosphere can still be felt in every derby 90 years later. The mutual dislike goes beyond the direct duels: In 2010, for example, Lazio is said to have deliberately lost to Inter Milan so that their rivals would not become champions.
Particularly explosive: the two teams have shared a stadium, the venue for the UEFA EURO 2020TM, since 1953. At the Stadio Olimpico, Lazio fans are at home in the Curva Nord, Roma supporters, of course, on the other side, the Curva Sud. AS Roma, however, want to move out and are planning to build their own stadium.
Are you ready for adventures too? Just drive to Europe's biggest football cities yourself! With the all-electric ID.4 from Volkswagen.
The city’s greatest football moment
Francesco Totti is a saint in Rome. It might sound like an exaggeration, but probably best describes Roma fans’ feelings for their captain. His career reads like a declaration of love for his club: He joined Roma as a 13-year-old. When representatives from arch-rivals Lazio tried to poach the young Francesco, they were chased out. The Rome-born player went on to play 25 years for the professional club. He made 786 competitive appearances for Roma – a club record. He scored 307 goals – a club record.
One of city's most significant and emotional moments came on 28 May 2017. Totti's last game as a professional, at the Stadio Olimpico. After the match against Genoa, the captain made a lap of honour together with his wife Ilary and their three children, celebrated by fans, teammates and opponents. In the stands, grown men wept unreservedly; even Totti was moved to tears, only managing a soft “grazie, ciao” as his voice cracked.
