Virtually every hamlet and village from Iceland to the Ionians has a team, so you are rarely more than a corner kick away from a game. For an American to understand just how big the soccer culture is in Europe, just imagine the fan base of football, basketball, and baseball all rolled into one. Americans are about the only people who call it soccer, by the way. Whatever it's called, the carnival atmosphere in the stadium, the roar of the crowd, the rabidness of the hard-core fans, and the snack foods can make for a spicy cultural experience. Soccer matches are as honest an event as a traveler can find.
Nothing is done to pander to tourists.
Schedules and Tickets Soccer season is roughly from August through June, with a break for the Christmas holiday. The best way to find out game schedules is not through newspapers but via the Web. You can probably get a feel for ticket availability and cost by checking out the league standings of the team you want to see. While every team has a core of diehard fans, two competing teams with poor records won't bring out the supporters, which means you have a very good shot at cheap last-minute tickets. Buying tickets from scalpers is an option, but it comes with all the same pitfalls it does at home.