Roma and Lazio reluctant to move derby date to accommodate Jannik Sinner

Reports on Tuesday claim that Roma and Lazio have ‘said no’ to the idea of moving the upcoming Derby della Capitale between the two sides to a Monday night in order to accommodate the final of the Italian Open, which could feature home favourite Jannik Sinner.  

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Scheduling clash causing issues for Roma and Lazio

The derby between Roma and Lazio is currently scheduled to take place at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday, May 17. The Italian Open, which is held at Foro Italico, the same complex that houses the Stadio Olimpico, is scheduled to take place on the same day. 

According to reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport, local authorities have asked that the Roma vs. Lazio match be moved from Sunday, May 17 to Monday, May 18 at 17.00 BST (18.00 CET).

This is, of course, due to concerns over crowd control, public safety and the allocation of resources. 

There were already logistical issues when Lazio hosted Juventus on the same day as the Italian Open final this year, and this situation will only be intensified due to the fact that Lazio will be playing against their archrivals, Roma, this time around. 

However, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, both Roma and Lazio have opposed the suggestion of moving the Derby della Capitale to the Monday evening. The suggestion of moving the game to 18.00 local time on a working Monday is not particularly practical for match-going supporters. 

Given the nature of the Derby della Capitale and a history of violent clashes between rival supporters, the game is highly unlikely to be played late in the evening on the Sunday, several hours after the Italian Open is likely to finish, either.

For now, it remains to be seen when the game will actually be played.