Stadio Ennio Tardini

The main stand at the Stadio Ennio Tardini is a single tier of steel and concrete. In the lower bowl, the seats are painted in a sea of pale yellow and blue. There is no glass roof over the players, only a flat concrete overhang that stops short of the touchline. A digital clock sits above the far end, dark against the sky.

For the local supporter, the texture of the place is more important than its history. The stands are close enough to the pitch that a distant shout carries across the grass. The surface is natural grass, cut in sharp green stripes that run the length of the field. On matchday, the view from the lower tier is decent, but the stadium is not a fortress. It is open to the elements, and the players can feel the Parma wind coming off the plain.

The ground has lived through several identities. It was the Stadio Municipale before the regime changed the name, then the Stadio Polisportivo Walter Branchi, before settling on the current title. The name appears on the big board above the away end. Inside, it looks like a ground that has been maintained rather than rebuilt. The concrete steps are worn. The railings are functional.

In recent years, the stadium has hosted the women’s Supercoppa Italiana Final, with Juventus and Roma meeting here under the floodlights. The crowd was tight in the stands, pressing against the barriers. The players were small against the vastness of the terraces. The score was level, and the game went to penalties. The stadium does not have a reputation for magic, but it is a working ground. It has hosted Italy’s national team, and they have won every game played here. The attendance for those fixtures is modest, but the players know they are in a city with football in its bones.