The Derby Della Capitale

The Club Formations

AS Roma were formed through the facist Italian dictator Mussolini. The leader of Italy at the time wanted the dominance of teams form the north to stop (mainly the two milan clubs). He combined three clubs, Roman, Alba-Audace and Fortitudo, to form one huge club near the outskirts of Rome. This was now AS Roma.

Meanwhile 27 years before in the year 1900, SS Lazio (or plainly Lazio) were formed in the Prati district of Rome. The club had been an amateur team before 1912 but that year, the club joined the newly formed Italian league.

The Reasoning

Very similar to that of the north London derby, the Tyne-Wear derby and the Manchester derby, the two clubs hate each other because they are in the same provinces. Lazio have a bitter perception to Roma because they feel they came in their territory. Added to the fact that AS Roma were made because the dictator at the time decided he wanted to make a club purely for winning. And if that meant scraping 3 other clubs, so be it. Lazio were also formed in the heart of Rome. As an actual ‘Roman club’ if you will and Roma, like I have said before, were based on the outskirts, away from the real Rome life. Roma are rivals of Lazio because they are there.

The Fans – Roma

AS Roma are currently the most supported club in the capital city and the 3rd most supported club in Italy (behind only Juventus and AC Milan). The club currently have 730k Twitter followers and over 4 million likes on Facebook.

The club, like most in Italy, have an extremely passionate fan base and are know for being a pretty violent.

With clubs other than Lazio, Roma share much hatred for most of the top teams in Italy. Napoli are their closest rivals bar Lazio as when they compete against the Naples club it is known as the Derby del Sole (Derby under the sun). They also share hatred for Juventus (like most Italian clubs do) and recently has sparked a rivalry with both Milan club, Internazionale and AC Milan (the two clubs that prompted Mussolini to form the club in the first place).

The club have staged many violent clashes over the years. In 2001 Liverpool fans attending the game between the two were stabbed. In 2007 Man United fans targeted as a brawl broke out and in 2009 a coach full of Arsenal fans was attacked by Roma supporters.

The Fans - Lazio

Lazio are currently the 2nd most supported club in Rome and the 6th in Italy behind Juventus, AC Milan, Napoli, Inter and their hated rivals Roma. The club has 235k Twitter followers and 539k likes on Facebook.

Like their red counterparts the Lazio fan base have become know for their violent encounters over the years. Most notably to me was the Tottenham incident back in 2012. The Lazio fans, before the Europa League knockout round, allegedly stabbed some Tottenham fans in bars surrounding the Stadio Olimpico.

The club have been known to chant racist abuse towards players and sing songs of fascism. But is still a greatly passionate club.

Matchday Violence (1)

The Rome derby has been known to be incredibly violent. When football based YouTube channel Copa90 visited the match it was labelled the ‘world’s most dangerous derby’ and an Italian newspaper described Rome as ‘stab city’ build up began.

One case in particular is the Vincenzo Paparelli incident in the 1979–80 Serie A season where the man in question was sitting in the Lazio stand and a flare fires from the opposite side in a Roma stand (bearing in mind this is a 72,000 seat stadium) and hit him directly in the eye. The flare was fatal and ended up killing Vincenzo. More recently the derby has thrown up some horrific scenes, as in 2013 when the two clubs met in Serie A as many as 6 people were stabbed as violence broke out between the two sets of supporters.

Italian football in general has been branded as ‘back in the dark ages’ after numerous incidents every season of cases like this.

Matchday Violence (2)

Inside the Stadio Olimpico (the stadium both clubs share) the fans are as passionate as possible. Even if that means flares, gunshots, missiles, racist and fascist chanting.

The clubs have been known in the past to display Swastika flags, racist and offensive banners and Anti-Semitist logos and drawings.

Horrific anti-Semitist banner by Lazio fans a few seasons ago offending a particular race about incidents involving them in the past.

AS Roma fans displayed a banner in the Napoli match offending the mother of a Napoli fan killed earlier in the year. His mother had written a book detailing his life after his tragic death at a football match. Both teams were sanctioned for these incidents.

No details or pictures will be given for these banners. .

Are These Events Still Present?

The football in Italy is taken seriously. It is a ‘chill-pill’ for those who want to release their true emotions. It has been this way for some timebut this does not take away from the great support that the clubs receive.

The offensive banners have been cut down. It still happens but it is a bit rarer. The use of flares is still there but they have not been used in an incredibly violent way, in a way of support. Offensive chanting is still a problem in Italy but something which is constantly monitored and sanctioned.

However amidst all the incidents in the Derby Della Capitale recently and before, the derby is still a home of extremely passionate fans and great support. And recently the amount of offense in the stands has declined. It’s still their just not as greatly anymore (the same could be said in all countries though).

The violence, however, is still a problem.

THANK YOU FOR READING! :D