The Stadio Olimpico barriers will remain, but more stewards and fewer police will be used after a meeting with Roma and Lazio.
Fans from both sets of clubs have been boycotting home games this season after the decision from the city Prefect to install barriers dividing the Curve – the ends where the hard-core supporters usually sit.
Today Roma and Lazio representatives met with the city council and a statement was released, but it may well not be enough to break the boycott.
The Stadio Olimpico barriers will remain, but more stewards and fewer police will be used after a meeting with Roma and Lazio.
Fans from both sets of clubs have been boycotting home games this season after the decision from the city Prefect to install barriers dividing the Curve – the ends where the hard-core supporters usually sit.
Today Roma and Lazio representatives met with the city council and a statement was released, but it may well not be enough to break the boycott.
“The initiative was promoted by Nicolo D’Angelo after a scientific study including a psych-social investigation based on over 2,000 questionnaires filled out during four games featuring Roma and Lazio.
“The research gave important indications relative to the perception of security in the stadium, but also on the nature of the protest against the new organisation model introduced this season.
“Among all those interviewed, only 7.5 per cent did not feel safe. This means that the ‘stadium context’ today offers a higher level of perceived security compared to other situations and denies the negative image that tends to generically be associated to the stadium in the public debate.”
The statement also notes that they will introduce channels for clubs to dialogue with the fans, so that issues regarding the entrance to the stadium and ultras initiatives such as banners and choreography will be discussed with the club and no longer via the police.
There will be more stewards and fewer police officers in the stadium, reserving police for the initial filtering area as more of an anti-terrorism safeguard.
The two clubs will start public campaigns with “charismatic personalities” to educate fans on how to support the athletes during a game.
There will be a Supporters Liaison Officer studying how to avoid dividing fan groups with these barriers.
CONI (Italian Olympic Committee) own the stadium and will therefore continue its plan to improve the technological structure and make it more of a comfortable environment for women, children and the elderly.
The Prefect will act as guarantor of the system, also respecting the fans’ space, with the precise condition that supporters stay out of the stairwells, do not bring in explosive or pyrotechnic material and do not show illegal banners.
If there is a positive response from the fans, then the Prefect will consider re-evaluating the situation.