Roma manager Jose Mourinho and Lazio owner Claudio Lotito clashed inside the dressing room at the Stadio Olimpico after Sunday’s Derby della Capitale with the Lazio President asking the Special One: ‘Who are you?’
It was a passionate Derby della Capitale that saw two red cards for Roma and one for Lazio. The two sides also had one staff member sent off each.
In the end, Mattia Zaccagni’s goal in the second half have Lazio the 1-0 win, a result that moved them into second place in Serie A, carving out a five-point lead over their bitter rivals in the race for a Champions League place.
It was a derby full of passion that with Roma star Roger Ibanez being sent off for a second bookable offence midway through the first half, and the referee was forced to dish out two more red cards to Bryan Cristante and Lazio defender Adam Marusic at full-time.
During a bad-tempered Derby della Capitale, Roma star Roger Ibanez was sent off for a second bookable offence midway through the first half, and the referee was forced to dish out two more red cards to Bryan Cristante and Lazio defender Adam Marusic at full-time.
The controversy and emotion carried over to the dressing rooms with Alessio Romagnoli reportedly celebrating in front of Roma’s dressing room
As players and staff clashed, Mourinho and Lotito got themselves in the row where Mourinho reportedly turned to Lotito and said:
‘What the f*** are you looking at?’
According to Italian newspaper Il Messaggero, the owner immediately replied: ‘
I am the president of Lazio and you are a guest. This is my home and I go wherever I like. And you can’t be here.’
Roma coach Salvatore Foti and Lazio midfielder Danilo Cataldi were reportedly forced to intervene to stop the incident from escalating. Lazio share the ground with their bitter rivals, making it Roma’s home stadium as well.
The pressure of competing for a top four place plus being in the quarter-finals of the Europa League seems to be bringing out the worst in Mourinho and his players.
There have bene six red cards handed out by referees in Roma’s last five meetings. Half of those dismissals were handed to Giallorossi players.
Roma, who at one stage looked the frontrunners to land a Champions League spot next season, have now slipped to fifth in Serie A and are only two points ahead of Atalanta below them.
Meanwhile, despite their 15-point deduction, Juventus have carved out a fruitful run and are only six points behind Mourinho’s side, earning a crucial 1-0 victory against Inter Milan at the weekend.
Statistics and Records
In 196 matches, Roma leads the derby with 73 wins. Lazio has earned 57 victories and there have been 66 draws. The biggest margin of victory was a 5-0 win by Roma during the 1933-34 season, while Lazio enjoyed its largest winning margin, 3-0, in the 2006-2007 season.
Although Lazio has less wins in the derby, they do hold the record for most wins in one season. In 1997-1998, they won four derbies, including two league matches and two Copa Italia quarter-final matches. The wins were primarily commanding, as they took the regular season matches 3-1 and 2-0. The quarter-final results were a resounding 4-1 victory and a solid 2-1 win.
In the one Cup Final match in which the two teams have met, the title went to Lazio. The club won that closely fought derby 1-0. It was played on 26 May 2013.
Leading scorers in the Derby della Capitale are primarily from Roma. These include Francesco Totti and Dino da Costa, both with 11 goals, and Marco Delvecchio and Vincenzo Montella, with nine and eight goals respectively. The top scorer for Lazio is Silvio Piola, who has put in seven, while Roma’s Rodolfo Volk has also scored the same number.
Important Games, Players and Managers
A hallmark game between these two clubs occurred recently on 26 May 2013. It was in the finals of the Coppa Italia. The game started at a frenetic pace, which resulted in both Cristian Ledesma and Federico Balzaretti receiving bookings.
Both teams missed golden opportunities to take an early lead. Lazio’s Miroslav Klose shot the ball into the side of the net after Roma lost control. A bit later Roma’s Michael Bradley had a great chance after receiving a fine pass, but his shot trickled by the side of the goal.
In the first half, Giallorossi looked to be the club that would score first, but Lazio eventually did a fine job of only allowing low-percentage long shots. Klose had another opportunity, but lost the ball. By the half, as the teams headed off the pitch, five players had received cards.
In the second half, there was bound to be a goal scored at some point and the aggressive Roma club looked like it might do it. But they could not decipher nor navigate Le Aquile’s defense. Lazio took over and with 19 minutes left in normal time Senad Lulic scored on a far-post tap-in. That goal, despite a concerted effort by Roma to tie the game, would stand up as Lazio won their sixth Coppa Italia.
This deep-seated rivalry has induced some fans to act in an extreme manner. Such fans, who are known as ultras, will often engage in aggressive, violent behavior. One of the worst incidents occurred on 21 March 2004 during a derby. With the game tied 0-0, a riot started in the stands. There had been trouble in the streets outside the stadium and police had used teargas to control crowds. It was rumored that a boy had been killed by a police car during the melee. Although this was false, it agitated fans even more.
As fans in the stadium got more and more out of control, Roma’s captain Totti asked that the derby be called. Adriano Galliani, Italian Football League President, was reached quickly and ordered the game stopped four minutes into the second half. It was replayed one week later with no incident and ended in a 1-1 tie.
High Emotions and Confrontation
Lazio’s ultra fans have incorporated a variety of inappropriate behaviors, including using swastikas and fascist symbols on their banners and exhibiting racist behavior during matches. Roma also has its share of ultra fans. Neither club embraces or condones the types of inappropriate behaviors in which the Lazio ultras have participated. This is a rivalry that runs deep throughout Rome and its various neighborhoods, making the pitch an unpredictable and, sometimes, dangerous place to be.
