The city of Salerno is one of my favourite places in Italy! Sitting on the Gulf of Salerno which forms part of the Tyrrhenian Sea, essentially the Mediterranean. Salerno’s coastline runs for around ten kilometres, and while it is not blessed with the great beaches you will find in other parts of Italy, it does have a small beach at the north end of the bay where the coast starts to curve round and head out towards the Amalfi Coast. This area of the city has been buffed up in the six years since I last visited, with a fancy marina, complete with restaurants and bars likely to attract some of the many small yachts that spend time dotting around the Amalfi peninsula.
It is a city wedged between mountains and sea, with many steep roads off the coast in the older part of the city, and a lengthy waterfront promenade affording stunning vistas no matter what direction you choose to walk, with plenty of palm trees for shade if needed.
It is a city you can easily relax in, as unlike Napoli, the Amalfi coast towns, or at Pompeii etc the visiting numbers are significantly less, but also the sheer size of Salerno means there’s space for everyone, and despite having a population of 140,000, it does not feel cramped.
Many tourists can be spotted shuffling off the trains, going two blocks down through the city to the yachting marina, which acts as the docking point for the frequent ferry sailings to Amalfi and Positano. It is debatable whether many of them give Salerno a second glance, which is a shame. If you ever find yourself in this harbour area, on the left hand side, well before the ferry terminal you will find a small fish restaurant run by local fishermen themselves selling the catch of the day, literally!!
The city has a wonderful medieval quarter, where as the sun goes down, it becomes the hot spot for strolling locals, boutique shopping, and ice cream delights. The tight streets help keep the area cooler even in the height of the day. There are many fine bars and restaurants too. Campania is, after all, one of the great culinary regions of Italy. Mozzarella cheese is one of the specialities, as well as lemons, explaining why Limoncello is so abundant in the area.
Perhaps because of the size of the bay, Salerno was chosen as the inaugural landing spot in 1943 by the Allies in WWII in an operation known rather blandly as The Invasion of Italy. The city was then designated the seat of the government of the south for the next six months. Long before any wartime tales, Salerno had been continuously settled since around the 6th century BC. The Greeks had settlements nearby at Paestum that stand to this day as testimony to that!
Salerno is a proper, working Italian city but with more than sufficient attractions for a visitor looking for a chilled out base to explore, not just the city, but further afield. The aforementioned Amalfi Coast is easily accessible by boat or bus, and a ferry runs to Capri, too. Just thirty minutes south is Paestum, a lesser known marvel of ancient times, with its Greek Acropolis-esque temples. If you are after a bigger beach, Agropoli, a little further south of the city, will tick that box. A little further north is the famous ruins of Pompeii, while Napoli is just an hour away too, and Caserta with its enormous ex-Royal Palace and stunning gardens are easily accessible on a day trip too.
US Salernitana
I had been out to the Arechi previously, the groundsman even opened to gates and let me take some snaps, but the fixture gods hadn’t been kind, meaning that the match versus Padova in Serie B coincided with my girl’s birthday and we were all organised for a few romantic days in Positano.
It had always stayed with me that wish to see a game here and a Serie A game at that rate, too. Yes, it was to be the dying embers of a fruitless and frustrating third top flight campaign, but with Atalanta the visitors, another side I had never seen before, it promised entertainment if nothing else. Given that Atalanta were still flying high in Europe, despite the horrendously late confirmation of fixtures, I was fairly relaxed that it would be a Sunday evening or Monday scheduling, and so it transpired. Thankfully, it was the 18.00 game on Monday, as a late Sunday affair after my stiflingly hot double bill in Nocera and Cava would have likely seen me completely dehydrated! That said, as you’d expect of Serie A, they had plenty of outlets in the stadium selling drinks. All they were lacking was the custom. Given they had already been relegated a good number of casual fans, and maybe even more ardent ones either didn’t bother, or turned up late, as a 6pm kick off on a school day in any land is a bit naughty in reality. I can only salute the small band of 20 or so Bergamasci who were in the visiting sector, but exactly how many of them had travelled from Lombardia is a mute point. A reversed fixture would always see a considerable away following, but that doesn’t necessarily translate as inhabitants of Salerno, with so many “southerners” up north!
Having reached the hallowed ground of Serie A for the third time in 2020/21 during a Covid interrupted campaign, the passionate fans of Salernitana were in paradise to have the big guns coming to Campania once more. The two previous efforts had lasted a mere season in 1946/47 and more recently in 1997/98. So, finishing 17th, one place, and one point above the drop zone in ‘21/22 was a slice of history, i Granati (the shirt colour used as the nickname) had stayed up. A 1-1 draw at Empoli in the penultimate round was the necessary point to finally retain Serie A status and make history.
The next season they were becoming a dab hand at this top flight lark, finishing two places higher in 15th, but more significantly a mighty 15 points ahead of Spezia who would go down following a playoff with Hellas Verona. Having overcome that old cliche “the tricky second season”, all seemed set for Salernitana to bed themselves into the Serie A glitterati. Their fan base was a welcome addition to the league, bringing both considerable numbers and passion to the game.
Sadly it didn’t play out that way and despite a lot of fine attacking intent, and very often taking the lead, especially at home, the opposition found a way to break them down and ultimately too many points were shipped with storming comebacks. Almost a season in a nutshell was played out on that balmy Monday night versus Atalanta. Despite the visitors heading into Salerno on the back of a terrific set of results in the league, the Coppa Italia and Europe, for the first 45 minutes, Salernitana were up for it, causing their more illustrious visitors endless issues, and they deservedly took the lead.
Gasperini isn’t the fabulous coach he is for nothing, and while he might have chosen to rest a few weary limbs from his starters following a tight affair in Marseille, the big guns were out in the second half. A goal three minutes either side of the hour mark was all it took to win the match for Atalanta. The second goal was a seering low thump into the bottom corner, which was unstoppable. They reverted to a more contained game thereafter, and who can blame them, they had significant fish to fry in the coming days, let alone some of the biggest games in the clubs history just around the corner.
Gasperini was wise enough to know that having taken the lead, Salernitana wouldn’t necessarily capitulate, but he could keep them at arms length, and that is exactly how it played out. Salernitana had given another of those all too common, flatter to deceive showings, but when a club is on the fourth coach of the season, and it has played out exactly the same under all four, the suggestion is that the coaching manual isn’t the issue.
It is a real concern that the necessary re-build for Salernitana might take them down another level. Benevento suffered that fate, Spezia just survived it, but with a high calibre quartet coming up from Serie C, the second tier next season is going to be amongst the most competitive ever.
The Stadio Arechi is a superb ground, with a restricted capacity of 37,800. It must be incredible when it is full and bouncing. The concrete is old and tired, and the gradients of the seating are steep, but the seats are all buffed up and Serie A standard. I hope they will continue to improve it. The views from the top of the home Curva bring you mountain views as well as looking out to sea.
The stadium is a very easy, if a lengthy flat coastal walk of 5-7 kilometres depending on where in Salerno you are starting out. Just following the coastal road pretty much all the way. Alternatively, a local train service leaves the main station every 30 minutes or so stopping at a variety of commuter stations, including Arechi. There is a brand new Novotel very close to the stadium, handy for a game, but well away from the real beating heart of Salerno. Within a kilometre of the ground, you will find a variety of bars and restaurants, and even a couple of outdoor catering vans were parked in the car park. Like every venue, except Napoli that is covered in these stories, none had a kiosk or even a stall outside selling any souvenirs, although judging by the English voices that walked by me after the game, the Salernitana club shop had done some unexpectedly good business, with at least five lads sporting this seasons home shirt. If only Italian clubs would wake up and realise their commercial potential, I think they’d be amazed.
I have a big birthday next January, and heading this far south with a few of my closest friends for a celebration and some football is just what the doctor ordered, as even in January jt might not be too cold in Salerno. This series of articles might well act as a whetting of the appetite for such a trip for anyone, anytime, that is the hope. No matter the occasion, Salerno and this corner of Campania is a perfect place to relax and enjoy some culture and calcio. I hope you’ve enjoyed my trek through this rich and bountiful region.
Football Adventures with James Rendall 