Derby della Capitale

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The Derby della Capitale, known in English as the Rome Derby is a twice yearly football match between Lazio and Roma in their Stadio Olimpico. Like other local derbies it is more intense and personal than most matches. It has been historically marked by massive crowds, excitement, violence, and (recently) racist banners in the crowd. As one commentator puts it, "There are few games on the world stage that can match the bitterness, rivalry and sheer passion of the Rome derby." [1]

Two extreme incidents in particular have left their mark on the history of this fixture. In 1979, Lazio fan Vincenzo Paparelli was hit in the eye and killed by a flare fired by a Roma fan from the opposite end of the stadium (becoming the first fatality in Italian football due to violence) and in 2004 an unprecedented event occurred when the Roma Ultras forced the game to be suspended after spreading false rumors among the crowd that a child had been killed by the police prior to the beginning of the game (see below).

[edit] Roma/Lazio rivalry

Historically, deep socio-economic distinctions between the biancocelesti and giallorossi always existed. Lazio was founded in the upper middle class quarter of Prati, and initially trained and played at the Rondinella field in the equally well-off Parioli northern neighborhood of Rome. AS Roma began at the Motovelodromo Appio, in the poorer southern area of the city, and subsequently moved to the working-class quarter of Testaccio. Roma's fans traditionally occupy the Curva Sud and Lazio's the Curva Nord areas of the "Stadio Olimpico". The pre-match phase is a true show as both supporters prepare huge colorful displays (coreografie). There is a history of "sfottò" (ironic remarks) from both sides mainly focusing on socio-economic origins of both sets of supporters, though this has decreased somewhat over the past few years. In the last few years Lazio fans have been the focus of criticism by the media for incidents involving racist banners and chanting, with some justification, however there are several examples of double-standards in the media as far as reporting these incidents are concerned. Things have changed slightly as the misbehavior of other Italian teams, including racist incidents by archrivals Roma, have started to receive more attention as well. In the fall of 2001, the arrival of Fabio Liverani to Lazio was criticized by Lazio supporters because pictures surfaced on the internet showing him celebrating Roma's recent scudetto win. He faced considerable pressure from supporters because of this, and not for racist reasons as has been alleged by some sources, but persevered and has come to be respected and appreciated even by hardcore Lazio fans.

[edit] The Spring 2004 Derby Riot

The Rome derby on March 21, 2004 was abandoned four minutes into the second half, with the score tied at 0-0, when a riot broke out in the stands and the president of the league called the match off. The riots, including literal exchanges of fireworks, followed the spread of a rumour that a boy had been killed by a police car just outside the stadium. This story was spread to the players when three leaders of Roma's ultras (hardcore fans) walked onto the pitch to speak with Francesco Totti, the Roma captain. He then asked for the match to be called off, at which point Italian Football League president Adriano Galliani was reached by the referee by mobile phone — from the pitch — and ordered the game postponed.

After the match was postponed a prolonged battle among fans and between fans and police ensued, with stands being set on fire and people fleeing the stadium, eventually resulting in over 13 arrests and over 150 injured among the police alone. Police resorted to tear gas after fans continued throwing fireworks and started burning cars and motorbikes outside the stadium.

The match was replayed on March 28th and ended in a riot-free 1-1 draw. The draw also meant that Roma had probably squandered its last chance at catching up with eventual championship winners Milan.

[edit] Statistics

Roma has won the derby 56 times, Lazio has won 43 times and 59 times the derby ended in a draw.