A long evening of ultra madness before the match between Roma and Slavia Prague. Police and the Olimpico host were beaten and injured, a Slavia Prague fan was stabbed in front of the stadium, banners and scarves were stolen between Roma and the Czech Ultras, fireworks were thrown and (at least) six visiting troublemakers were arrested. It must be said that the situation would have been worse had the police headquarters not intervened immediately and prevented a march by Slavia fans in the city centre.
But let’s go in order. The first moments of tension arose in the late afternoon, around 6pm on Thursday and before the match, which Roma won 2-0, what lit the fuse for visiting fans was a banned banner depicting the Roman Emperor par excellence Julius Caesar, with the inscription “Avi Slavia”. The choreography is considered offensive by the police, but not by Roma fans.
In front of the Colosseum
The truth is that that defeat would not have actually gone to the Czechs. Ultras, after an impromptu Tom Tam show on social media, attempted to march in central Rome. Shirtless photos with the Colosseum as a backdrop are eloquent. In various Telegram groups, they have been hopping around since about 6 p.m. From there, tense moments escalated. Some of them were directed towards the Olimpico, but a group of about 20 people managed to break away.
First accidents
The first events broke out in the Via Cavour area, a few steps from the Viminale police station. Six officers were injured, one of them seriously injured in the face from a punch in the eye, after they tried to stop Czech fans who wanted to set off fireworks in the middle of the street. The ultras also had smoke bombs and clashed with police, who stopped them to identify them. The injured officers were taken to hospital and six fans were arrested on charges of resistance and violence against a public official.
Under the Altare della Patria, a new attempt to organize a procession remains prohibited, as the police headquarters explains: “The extensive public order services established throughout the city center made it possible to prevent hundreds of fans from causing disturbances around the stands.” The archaeological area of the Colosseum.
A fan was stabbed and the “trophies” were stolen.
Shortly before the match, another tense moment. A Roma fan punched a guest fan in the buttocks on the Duca d’Aosta bridge at around 7.30pm. Other Roma fans stole scarves and shirts from the guests. However, Slavia ultras stole a banner from Roma’s club Toscolano and displayed it upside down in the northern sector along with the bloodstained jackets of the stewards, before the match at the turnstiles when the Czechs had to remove their shoes during the match. Searches.
The stolen banner was then removed at half-time, when there was also throwing of objects and attempted contact between Roma and Slavia Prague fans, at the start of the second half. The nearly 4,000 Czech fans who filled the away sector broke the cordon imposed by the hosts as they attempted to make contact with Roma fans in the adjacent sector, the Curva Nord sector. The windows and the security service succeeded in reducing tensions with the two groups of fans, who nevertheless threw objects and smoke bombs at each other from one sector to another. The flow from the stadium was controlled and tensions eased during the night.
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