Modena · Modena, Italy
When you visit Modena's main football stadium, you're stepping into a venue named after one of Italy's earliest Olympic heroes. Alberto Braglia dominated gymnastics in the early 20th century, claiming an impressive three gold medals across the 1908 London and 1912 Stockholm Games—a remarkable achievement that made him a national sporting icon long before football took center stage at this ground.
Though Braglia made his mark tumbling and vaulting rather than scoring goals, his name now graces a stadium where modern sporting drama unfolds weekly. It's a fitting tribute to an athlete who put Italian excellence on the world stage generations ago. As you take your seat for a match, you're connected to over a century of sporting tradition that began with a gymnast's golden performances in the early days of the modern Olympics.