Complete chaos: Controversy surrounding the postponed Rome derby

The derby between Roma and Lazio has been postponed from Sunday midday to Monday evening due to the tennis Masters final taking place at the Foro Italico at the same time. This decision has now resulted in a power struggle.

12 May 2026

From: never

Authorities in Rome justified the decision primarily with security and traffic concerns around the Foro Italico and the Olympic Stadium, as a huge influx of visitors is expected this weekend. The Masters tournament alone, in which South Tyrolean tennis superstar Jannik Sinner is scheduled to play on Tuesday afternoon, is expected to draw large crowds. secured their place in the quarter-finalsIt attracts thousands of spectators and tourists every day.

According to decision-makers, holding the events simultaneously would have caused problems on two levels that were difficult to control. Firstly, urban mobility: the north of the capital was threatened with paralysis due to the double influx of visitors to the Foro Italico and the Olympic Stadium. Secondly, public safety was a concern, as it is difficult to guarantee with such large crowds.

League resists postponement

Francesco Rocca, president of the Lazio region, welcomed the decision. "I thank Prefect Giannini for quickly correcting this superficial decision by Lega Calcio. I hope the league will plan its calendar better in the future," he was quoted as saying in a press release. However, this dig at the league was far from the end of the matter.

The postponed Rome derby is causing controversy. © ANSA / FABIO FRUSTACI / Z23

Lega Calcio announced it would appeal to the Administrative Court, thus entering a public power struggle regarding the 37th – and therefore penultimate – matchday of Serie A. "Is it now definitively decided that the Rome derby will be played on Monday? I absolutely don't think so," Serie A CEO Luigi De Siervo told the press. AGI.

Serie A insists on simultaneous games

Why is the league so vehemently clinging to the current date? Quite simply: The Roma derby is scheduled to take place simultaneously with the matches Como-Parma, Genoa-Milan, Juventus-Fiorentina, and Pisa-Napoli on Sunday at 12:30 PM to ensure a fair showdown in the fight for Champions League qualification. Napoli (2nd/70 points), Juventus (3rd/68), Milan (4th/67), Roma (5th/67), and Como (6th/65) are all within a few points of each other in the standings, and scheduling the games at the same time is intended to prevent any potential collusion or manipulation.

Sports Minister Andrea Abodi understands the approach, but criticized the decision: "It should have been recognized earlier that the derby shouldn't be scheduled on this matchday. However, things have now been decided. It's not a good image for the public to end up in front of a judge," he explained.

	SP	G	U	V	TV	P
1. Inter	36	27	4	5	85:31	85
2. Naples	36	21	7	8	54:36	70
3. Juventus	36	19	11	6	59:30	68
4.Milan	36	19	10	7	50:32	67
5. Roma	36	21	4	11	55:31	67
6. As	36	18	11	7	60:28	65
7. Atalanta	36	15	13	8	50:34	58
8.Bologna	36	15	7	14	45:43	52
9. Lazio	36	13	12	11	39:37	51
10.Udinese	36	14	8	14	45:46	50
11. Sassuolo	36	14	7	15	44:46	49
12. Torino	36	12	8	16	41:59	44
13. Parma	36	10	12	14	27:45	42
14. Genoa	36	10	11	15	40:48	41
15. Fiorentina	36	8	14	14	38:49	38
16. Cagliari	36	9	10	17	36:51	37
17. Lecce	36	8	8	20	24:48	32
18. Cremonese	36	7	10	19	30:53	31
19. Hellas Verona	36	3	11	22	24:58	20
20. Step on	36	2	12	22	25:66	18