The Rome derby is a 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] S.S. Lazio (Italian: Società Sportiva Lazio SpA) is an Italian football club based in Rome, Latium. ... Associazione Sportiva Roma is an Italian football club based in Rome. ... Stadio Olimpico is a stadium in Rome, Italy. ... In many countries the term derby is used (often in the form local derby) to mean a sports (often football (soccer)) geographical rivalries. ...

Roma/Lazio rivalry

Roma's fans traditonally 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. Lazio fans are targeted because they allegedly come from outside Rome, "laziali" reply asserting that they "brought" football to Rome, as they were founded in 1900, twenty-seven years before their arch-rivals. 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. Football (soccer) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

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 Roma 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. March 21 is the 80th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (81st in leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is in need of attention. ... Francesco Totti (born 27 September 1976 in Rome) is an Italian football player, who currently plays for AS Roma in Serie A and the Italian national team. ... The Italian football league system is a series of interconnected leagues for football clubs in Italy. ...

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. AC Milan is an Italian football club. ...