Not wanting to miss anything, we planned to meet outside the stadium a little early to check out the pre-game atmosphere. I arrived before everyone else, so I purchased a Sporting team scarf from a lady outside the subway and headed to find out what my fellow Sporting supporters were doing.
The last European league game I attended was at San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy. The atmosphere was electric, with vendors everywhere, selling souvenirs, sausage sandwiches and beers. It was a pre-game paradise! Expecting the same, I made my way around the Sporting stadium while waiting for the others. Slowly I realized I was not going to find the same atmosphere here. Outside of a few souvenir stands, no one was hanging out for pre-game merriment.