Derby della Capitale

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Derby della Capitale, known in English as the Rome Derby is a biannual yearly football match between Lazio and Roma in the Stadio Olimpico. The Derby della Capitale is considered to be one of the greatest derbies in Italy along with the Milan Derby (Inter Milan-AC Milan) and the Turin Derby (Juventus-Torino)and one of the best in the world. 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).

1 A.S. Roma - S.S. Lazio rivalry
2 The Spring 2004 Derby Riot
3 Statistics & Records
- 3.1 Players
4 References

[edit] A.S. Roma - S.S. Lazio rivalry

Roma and Lazio players before Lazio's 3-1 victory on January 6th, 2005

Historically, there are socio-economic distinctions between Lazio and Roma. 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 play 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 southern end (curva Sud) and Lazio's the northern one (curva Nord) of the "Stadio Olimpico". The pre-match phase is a true show as both supporters prepare huge colorful displays (coreografie) as well as the traditional display of banners with sarcastic plays on words (sfottò) directed at the opposing team and supporters.

[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 & Records

	Serie A					Coppa Italia					Total
	W	D	L	GS	GC	W	D	L	GS	GC	W	D	L	GS	GC
AS Roma	43	54	31	154	120	14	7	12	39	34	57	61	43	193	154
SS Lazio	31	54	43	120	154	12	7	14	34	39	43	61	57	154	193

The first derby was played on 8 December 1929, and ended 1-0 for Roma thanks to a goal by Rodolfo Volk.

Lazio won its first derby on 23 October 1932 with goals by De Maria (L), Volk (R) and Castelli (L).

On 29 November 1953 was played the first derby in the Stadio Olimpico, and finished with a 1-1 draw with goals by Carlo Galli (R) and Paquale Vivolo (L).

The best result in a derby was the 5-0 victory of Roma during the season 1933-34. The best result for Lazio was the 3-0 victory of the season 2006-07.

Lazio holds the record of the most cosecutive victories in a single season, winning four derbies during the season 1997-98: two in the league (3-1 and 2-0) and two in the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia (4-1 and 2-1).

[edit] Players

Francesco Totti played the most number of derbies: 27 appearances. The most present for Lazio were Aldo Pulcinelli and Pino Wilson, both with 19 appearances.