Roma’s crucial derby against Lazio will remain on Sunday after Serie A and Rome authorities reached a compromise, easing concerns over scheduling and the Champions League race.
Roma’s highly anticipated Serie A derby against Lazio will remain on Sunday afternoon after Serie A officials and Rome authorities finally reached a compromise following days of confusion and controversy surrounding the fixture schedule.
The match, originally threatened with a move to Monday night, will now kick off at 12:00 local time instead of the previously scheduled 12:30 slot. The agreement brings an end to a dispute that had created uncertainty for several clubs involved in the race for Champions League qualification.
Because the battle for the top four remains incredibly tight, Serie A regulations require the fixtures involving Roma, Lazio, Juventus, Milan, Napoli and Como to kick off simultaneously. The scheduling uncertainty surrounding the Rome derby therefore had a direct impact on several crucial matches across the division.
The original request to move the derby to Monday came from Rome’s Prefect, who was concerned about security issues caused by the overlap with the Italian Open men’s final taking place at Foro Italico, located close to the Stadio Olimpico.
ULTIM’ORA SERIE A
Il Derby di Roma si giocherà domenica alle 12.00
La Prefettura ha accettato la proposta della Lega Serie A
Stesso orario per le altre partite della corsa Champions#SkySport #SkySerieA— skysport (@SkySport) May 14, 2026
Authorities feared that large crowds attending both events at the same time could create significant public order problems, particularly given the intense rivalry between Roma and Lazio supporters and the history of crowd violence associated with the derby.
Concerns surrounding the overlap between football and tennis were heightened earlier in the week during Inter Milan’s Coppa Italia triumph over Lazio, when smoke from fireworks at the Stadio Olimpico drifted across the nearby Italian Open courts during Luciano Darderi’s quarter-final match.
The situation became increasingly chaotic on Thursday when Rome’s administrative court refused to rule on Serie A’s appeal against the Prefect’s decision, instead urging both sides to reach an agreement independently. The prolonged uncertainty sparked frustration among supporters, with several Roma ultra groups announcing plans to boycott the derby in protest.
Roma later issued a statement saying they fully understood the frustrations of their supporters while also subtly encouraging fans to reconsider their stance due to the importance of the match.
The Giallorossi are currently level on points with fourth-placed Milan and are desperately fighting to secure a return to the Champions League for the first time since 2019.
