The Derby Della Capitale is perhaps one of the world’s most famous local derbies. It is a match that transforms the entire city of Rome for several days. The two major Roman clubs, AS Roma and SS Lazio, share both the Italian capital and the Olympic Stadium.
SS Lazio is the older of the two clubs, but today AS Roma is the “big brother” with the most fans. The distribution of fans in Rome is approximately 65% Roma fans and 35% Lazio fans. The center and the south of Rome are typical Roma areas, especially the old neighborhoods such as Monti, Trastevere and Testaccio (where AS Roma was founded). Lazio’s fans come primarily from the northern (and more prosperous) parts of Rome, as well as from the suburbs and the Roman hinterland. The first Derby Della Capitale was played on the 4th of May 1930. It ended with a 3-1 victory to Roma.
The wolf and the eagle are two Roman symbols that the clubs have adopted several thousand years later, as part of the self-understanding of both the clubs and their supporters. Outside of Rome, in the rest of Italy, Romans are seen as arrogant and are not well liked. The Latin slogan for the city reads “Caput Mundi” (capital of the world).
This is how the Romans perceive their city, as the most beautiful and important city in the world. And they take that with them to the stadium and especially to the Rome derby, where it is important to claim Romanness and the many thousands of years of heritage.
As of the match yesterday there were clashed outside the stadium right before derby, against the Police and few contacts between two groups.
Here’s the photos of the derby held yesterday:
