Roman Rivals' Annual Football Derby at Stadio Olympico
The excitement of Italian football comes alive at the Lazio-Roma derby match.Visiting Rome for the annual Lazio versus Roma derby football match is a great way for travellers to immerse themselves in the Eternal City and the atmosphere of Italian football.
The annual match is held at the Stadio Olympico, or Olympic Stadium, which sits on the banks of the River Tiber, just a short way to the north of the city centre. Seating approximately 70,000 spectators, the stadium rings with the fiercely partisan cheers of the teams’ fans.
The teams, AS Roma and Lazio Roma, share the stadium, alternating weekends, but the derby matches between the two are immensely important. Both claim to be the “authentic Roman team”, but there is no clear winner in that regard. Their rivalry does not just represent the sport, but also serves as a statement of who their fans are and where they are from, with AS Roma’s support coming from the popular Roman districts, and the “Lupi”, as they are known, having more left-wing political and social ideas and beliefs, while Lazio Roma followers, or “Laziali”, from the richer districts of the city and the suburbs, tend towards more conservative, right-wing politics.
British Airways and Alitalia offer direct flights to Rome from London Heathrow, while Alitalia offers connecting flights via Milan Linate airport.
