Serie A’s 37th week of fixtures will see five important games, including the highly anticipated Roma vs. Lazio derby, commence simultaneously at 12:00 local time (11:00 UK time) on Sunday. This decision impacts Como vs. Parma, Genoa vs. Milan, Juventus vs. Fiorentina, and Pisa vs. Napoli.
This resolution comes after days of deadlock between local authorities and the Lega Serie A, with an emergency appeal to the TAR tribunal also being rejected. The scheduling uncertainty had left 10 teams uncertain about their match times for the penultimate week of the season.
Serie A Faces Scheduling Dilemma
The requirement for final rounds to be played concurrently stems from the need to maintain competitive integrity, preventing any team from gaining an advantage by knowing other results. With the race for Champions League spots intensely contested, this simultaneity is crucial for Roma-Lazio, Como-Parma, Genoa-Milan, Juventus-Fiorentina, and Pisa-Napoli.
The primary conflict arises from the Roma vs. Lazio match, scheduled at the Stadio Olimpico, which is part of the same complex as the Foro Italico. The Italian Open tennis tournament’s men’s singles final is set to take place at the Foro Italico on Sunday at 16:00 UK time (17:00 CEST). The potential for a massive influx of sports fans into the same area was deemed a significant security risk, prompting the local Prefect to order the football match’s postponement to Monday at 19:45 UK time (20:45 CEST).
However, the Lega Serie A had insisted on a Sunday start at 11:30 UK time (12:30 CEST). Following failed negotiations with the Prefect, an appeal was made to the TAR tribunal, which ultimately directed the issue back to local authorities, leading to an emergency summit to resolve the dispute.
The clubs involved expressed conflicting viewpoints. Lazio coach Maurizio Sarri indicated he would refuse to field the team if forced to play on Sunday at midday, with President Claudio Lotito threatening to withdraw the squad. Conversely, Roma supported their fanbase’s call for a Sunday fixture.
Furthermore, holding the match on Monday presented its own challenges due to a scheduled public transport strike on that day.