Roma vs. Lazio kick-off time still causing issues: Could five Serie A matches be moved?

LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 13: Jannik Sinner of Italy poses with the Gentlemen’s Singles Trophy following his victory against Carlos Alcaraz of Spain during the Gentlemen’s Singles Final on day fourteen of The Championships Wimbledon 2025 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 13, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

This is a safety concern and also presents an issue in terms of police and security resources. The regular main entrance to the Curva Sud side of the Stadio Olimpico will be blocked off for football supporters in order to allow access to the tennis stadium for the Italian Open.

This was already an issue when the final of the Italian Open clashed with the Lazio vs. Juventus match at the end of last season, and is only expected to intensify given the heated rivalry between Roma and Lazio and the history of clashes between supporters.

As a result of the previous fan trouble around the Derby della Capitale, the suggestion of playing the game late in the evening has already been ruled out. Any later than lunchtime on Sunday afternoon, and there will be a direct clash with the Italian Open final. The game cannot be played on the Saturday either, as it is too close to Lazio’s Coppa Italia final against Inter, which is being held a few days before on Wednesday, May 13.

And, with growing pressure from local authorities to ensure both the derby and the Italian open final run as smoothly as possible, there have been calls to move the Roma vs. Lazio match to Monday, May 18 instead, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.

ROME, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 21: Angelino of AS Roma shoots while put under pressure by Adam Marusic of Lazio during the Serie A match between SS Lazio and AS Roma at Stadio Olimpico on September 21, 2025 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)

The added complication in this scenario, however, is that Roma are one of several sides still competing for a Champions League spot. And, given that the 37th round of Serie A fixtures could be the decisive week in the race for the Champions League, all games involving teams that are still in the fight for the top four must be played at the same to ensure competitive fairness.

So, if Roma vs. Lazio is moved to the Monday evening, then Genoa vs. Milan, Juventus vs. Fiorentina, Como vs. Parma and potentially Pisa vs. Napoli and even Atalanta vs. Bologna might have to be played then as well.

For now, the situation remains unsettled. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, a definitive decision is likely to be made after the completion of the 36th round of Serie A fixtures coming up this weekend, when the Champions League picture may begin to start looking a bit clearer.