Rome derby stays on Sunday after agreement with security authorities

TL;DR

The Rome derby between Roma and Lazio will take place on Sunday afternoon after an agreement was reached to move the kickoff time forward by half an hour. This decision resolves a scheduling conflict with the Italian Open men's final and is crucial for teams vying for Champions League qualification.

Key points

Rome derby will be played on Sunday afternoon
Kickoff moved forward by half an hour
Agreement reached between Serie A and Rome authorities
Scheduling conflict with Italian Open men's final
Affected teams include Roma, Lazio, and others

RomaLazioComoJuventus

Luciano Darderi win over Rafael Jodar at the Italian Open was interrupted by smoke from fireworks shot after Inter Milan's Italian Cup triumph (Tiziana FABI) (Tiziana FABI/AFP/AFP) Roma's derby with Lazio will be played on Sunday afternoon following an agreement between Serie A and authorities in Rome to move the kick off forward by just half an hour, ending a row which had left teams in the dark about fixtures crucial to Champions League qualification. Five matches, including the Rome derby, will kick off at noon local time (1000GMT), rather than 12:30pm following an agreement which cancels an intial order from the Rome Prefect to move the derby to Monday night. Scheduling for the derby also affected Como, Juventus, AC Milan and Napoli as all five matches involving the teams aiming for a top-four finish have to kick off at the same time, and led to a back-and-forth between football and public security authorities which had dragged on for days. Serie A said the confirmed new kick-off time came after discussions between Italy's top football division and Rome's Prefect and police. The initial order from the Prefect to moved the derby was made to ensure the Rome derby avoided clashing with the Italian Open men's final, which will played a 5.00pm local time on Sunday, a stone's throw from the Stadio Olimpico where Roma and Lazio play their home matches. Thousands of tennis fans will descend on the Foro Italico while police aim to avoid trouble between Roma and Lazio supporters a few hundred metres up the road. The rivalry between Roma and Lazio is one of Italy's most keenly felt and crowd violence has been commonplace in and around the Stadio Olimpico on derby days.

Q&A

What time will the Rome derby between Roma and Lazio start?

The Rome derby will kick off at noon local time (10:00 GMT) on Sunday.

Why was the kickoff time for the Rome derby changed?

The kickoff time was changed to avoid clashing with the Italian Open men's final scheduled for 5:00 PM local time.

What teams are affected by the scheduling of the Rome derby?

The scheduling affects Roma, Lazio, Como, Juventus, AC Milan, and Napoli, all competing for a top-four finish.

What was the initial order regarding the Rome derby's scheduling?

The initial order from the Rome Prefect was to move the derby to Monday night, which was later overturned.