AS Roma were able to put their to recent defeat to Inter Inter firmly in the past with a commanding showing against rivals Lazio, but the Derby della Capitale was marred by fan protests at the Stadio Olimpico.
A derby day victory is normally the scene of great celebration, as fans and players join together to revere in beating the sworn enemy. Yet when the final whistle blew on Sunday afternoon, the celebrations were mute.
Roma had beaten Lazio in dominating fashion, which was an anomaly from the usual close and tight Derby della Capitale outings. The Giallorossi were easily the better side, despite the dubious penalty that gave them the lead after 10 minutes.
Rudi Garcia’s players and coaching staff did party after the match. Yet, it was a celebration forced into the dressing room with so few in the stands. The win keeps Roma in touch with pace setters Fiorentina and Inter at the top of the Serie A table. They have already come up against Juventus, Barcelona and rivals Lazio this season, in three of the biggest games the club could wish to play. The stadium, however, has been barely half full on all three occasions. Why are the Roma fans staying away when their side are doing so well?
The Roma ‘ultras’, who normally reside in the Curva Sud, have taken exception to the new safety measures which have been introduced to the Stadio Olimpico for the 2015-16 season. Plastic barriers that now split the Curva in two have gone up, while tighter security measures have led to scenes outside the stadium including two lines of checks each with 10-foot cages and vastly increased military police. The man who has introduced these measures, Rome’s police chief Franco Gabrielli, says the controls are in place to increase safety – but the ultras have seen it as a threat to their way of life.
The best way to show their displeasure is to boycott the games, at least that is the theory behind their no show. The Curva have asked for the support of the club over the matter but their hands are tied, they could not possibly go against the authorities in a matter of safety. The ultras have taken this refusal to back their corner as further proof that the American owners do not understand what it means to be a Romanista, with club president James Pallotta particularly on the end of abuse.
In the week leading up to the derby, the ultras did their best to taint the game. Many refused to use the “d” word claiming a derby without fans, more precisely ultras, is not a derby at all. Some went to the team’s hotel before the game to lend them their support, then refused to take their seats when the match started.
The Stadio Olimpico was not empty for the game against Lazio. 35,000, including some ultras who did not follow the lead of their fellow supporters, watched the game first-hand. In an act of solidarity, most of Lazio’s ultras did not turn-up, who have almost seen their Curva spilt down the middle. This act left the game without the tremendous choreography and feverish atmosphere which makes the Rome derby so unique in European football.
After the match, the Giallorossi players did indicate that the lack of fans affected the game. Roman-born Alessandro Florenzi said “I usually feel the derby at 100%, this time it was only at 99%.” The ultras have now reached a crossroads – do they give in and head back to the stadium or continue to stay away? Gabrielli is not going to change his stance. The ultras see this as another indication of the demise of football in the modern era, but they have to accept that the beautiful game has irreversibly changed, for better or worse.
Roma coach Rudi Garcia said in the build up to the game “I wish the Stadio Olimpico was a cauldron, but at the moment we are a long way from that being the case.” The Giallorossi are in great shape going into the international break. But how long can they continue with their ultras on side and in the curva?
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