Juventus and Notts County: An Encounter with History

It is no secret that the inspiration behind the legendary stripes of Juventus came from English club Notts County.

Since 1903, the stripes have become identifiable with the Old Lady. Amidst European Glory, Italian triumph and even during the lowest points of the club, the stripes remained the backbone of the club.

With Juventus set to mark a new chapter in their history as a club, they will relive a bit of history with a friendly clash with Notts County to officially open their new stadium. The "Juventus Arena," as it has been termed, will mark the beginning of a new era at Juventus. It is set to seat 40,000 people and prove to be the first stadium ever independently owned by any one club in Italy.

With the new Financial Fair Play being introduced in Europe, the stadium will ensure that Juventus still have a healthy income for future transfers. The steady money received from sales will offset any losses and signings, meaning that Juventus would be able to easily meet standards set by FIFA and UEFA.

According to the Juventus Web site, Marco Balich, organiser of the event, said, “Having those players who represent the oldest club in the world directly on the pitch further enriches the programme of the Opening Ceremony, which will be revealed just a few hours before the actual opening of the stadium. When we’ve found out the detail about the ‘white and black’ shirt which replaced the old pink shirt, we’ve had no doubts: it’s a fundamental part of a narrative, emotional path which will involve all Juventus fans attending the event at the stadium.”

The ceremony to open the new stadium is set to be a memorable one. With so much secrecy surrounding the construction of the stadium, it is set to be one of the most anticipated openings in recent memory.

For Juventus tifosi everywhere, there is hope that the Old Lady may just return to the pinnacle of Europe!