The highly anticipated Roma-Lazio derby, part of Serie A’s 37th matchday, has been rescheduled from Sunday to Monday at 20:45 CET. The change was made to avoid overlapping with the final of the Masters 1000 tennis tournament, which requires significant security and urban mobility resources, according to the Rome prefecture.
The prefecture stated, “In the name of public order management and urban mobility, concurrent with a world-class event like the Italian International tennis tournament at the Foro Italico, the AS Roma vs. Lazio match will be played on Monday.”
This decision has sparked strong reactions from the Italian Football League (Lega Serie A), which threatens legal action. Just a day earlier, the Lega had announced the long-awaited schedule for matchday 37, keeping the derby on Sunday despite concerns from local authorities, who had been worried for weeks about the clash.
The Roman derby, often marred by incidents near the Stadio Olimpico, requires a major security deployment, with two large zones reserved exclusively for fans and ultras of both clubs.
The prefecture’s ruling also impacts the rest of the matchday. Since 2025, clubs competing for specific standings must play their final two matches at the same time. With five teams—from Napoli to Como, including Roma—separated by just five points vying for Champions League spots, the following matches have also been moved to Monday at 20:45 CET: Como vs. Parma, Genoa vs. AC Milan, Juventus vs. Fiorentina, and Pisa vs. Napoli. However, the Lega has not yet officially confirmed the new schedule.
In a statement released early Monday afternoon, the league denounced “an interventionist tendency by authorities to change match schedules at will, without concern for the problems created.”
