Derby della Capitale – AS Roma and Lazio

The future is starting to look bright again for Italian football, with a number of Serie A clubs finally beginning to recover from economic issues that have crippled the league over the last few years.

Gone are the days when the two Milan clubs were serious contenders for the Champions League trophy, with AC and Inter Milan now both languishing in mid-table obscurity. Juventus took their place at the top of the league table, and have remained there largely unchallenged for the past four seasons.

While Juventus continued their dominance last season, Serie A saw two rival clubs from Rome completing for the runners-up spot: Roma and Lazio. Just one point separated the two sides, with Roma piping Lazio to second. With both sides strengthening over the summer, this season is likely to produce yet another close affair.

The great thing about visiting Rome for a weekend of football is that both Lazio and Roma play in the same stadium. Stadio Olimpico is home to both sides, meaning that there is never a weekend during the league season when the city isn’t hosting a Serie A game, and with a maximum capacity of 73,000, the atmosphere in the Italian capital certainly isn’t one to miss.

While Roma have enjoyed the most success over the years, winning three Serie A titles and nine Coppa Italia trophies during their 88 year history, Lazio is Rome’s oldest active football team. AS Roma was formed after three other Rome based clubs – Roman FC, SS Alba-Audace and Fortitudo-Pro Roma SGS – merged together, and the two clubs have provided a fierce rivalry ever since.

Anybody lucky enough to catch a Derby della Capitale, when Roma and Lazio meet at the Stadio Olimpico, are in for a real treat. Italy is famed for its passionate fans, with most teams possessing a small portion of the crowd who live and breathe their respective club (‘ultras’, as most would know them), and Lazio fans are recognised as some of the most passionate in the country.

Although, while violence was once rife throughout Italian football, visiting fans can rest assured that there is very little risk of trouble when the two Rome sides meet. Support for the two clubs is split down the middle throughout the city, and many rival fans live and work together, meaning that their dislike for one another in the football world rarely transcends beyond match-day.

While a derby is likely to cost you a fair bit more, the cheapest tickets to catch Roma playing at the Stadio Olimpico can be picked up for as little as £20, while Lazio home games are likely to be even cheaper depending on who they are facing.

Whichever side you choose to watch, expect a tense, electric atmosphere that is capable of exploding at any time. Italian football might not be for the faint-hearted – swearing, anger and plenty of flares are to be expected, but it is certainly an affair that it is impossible to experience in the UK.

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