Empty stands at Lazio, fans boycott despite a strong season start

The capital city team Lazio Rome started the new Serie A with a strong start, but at the Stadio Olimpico only about 10 000 spectators saw the 2-2 draw against AC Milan – the majority of them supported the visitors. While the home team’s fans stayed at home, coach Gennaro Gattuso expressed his frustration about the bleak atmosphere.

Empty stands despite strong start

In the huge Stadio Olimpico only about 10 000 spectators filled the stands, with the majority behind the visitors. The away block was sold out with 5 550 tickets, and the adjacent sectors were dominated by Milan’s red‑black colours. In the same fixture last season, around 50 000 spectators filled the stadium.

Conflict between fans and Lotito

The reason for the Covid‑like atmosphere lies in the escalating dispute between Lazio fans and club chief Claudio Lotito. For a long time the tifosi have been protesting against Lotito and are now demanding a general boycott to force him out of office. Last season Lazio still sold around 30 000 season tickets, this season only about 4 000.

Additionally, the supporters are boycotting the official fan shop as well as all other facilities controlled by Lotito. In an official statement the fans complained about a clear refusal of investment by the owner.

Sporting situation and transfer policy

Sportingly the traditional club is stagnating: In the last three years Lazio finished seventh, seventh and ninth, while the last title win was a Coppa Italia triumph in 2012019. The tifosi accuse Lotito of investing too little money in the squad and giving the club insufficient attention.

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In recent months Lazio sold key players such as Taty Castellanos, Matteo Guendouzi, Mario Gila, Alessio Romagnoli and Ivan Provedel, but no expensive signings arrived. Despite the revenue from the sales, there was no clear reinforcement of the squad.

Both in the last season and in the concluded transfer window the club took in more money for players than it spent. Gattuso, whose appointment sparked little enthusiasm among the fans, recalled after the 2-2 against Milan: “We miss our fans incredibly. Football without fans is a plague.”

Since 2004 Lotito not only owns Lazio, but took over the fourth‑division side Salernitana in 2011, guided them to Serie A within ten years and then sold them again due to federation regulations. In the summer of this year he joined Reggina, another club from the fourth tier. His reputation is also tarnished by several legal cases: a two‑year ban in 2006 over a betting scandal, a 2009 conviction for market manipulation and a violation of pandemic regulations.

The fan scene itself is also under criticism: in 2018 a group of women called for the first ten rows of the fan block to be avoided, in 2021 a banner appeared reading “Hysaj is a worm, Lazio is fascist” and in 2024 fans in Munich’s Hofbräuhaus displayed the Roman salute and shouted “Duce”.

Despite all problems Lazio made a remarkable start: after three consecutive wins the season‑opening match against Milan ended in a 2-2 draw. Particularly noteworthy is the new signing Davide Frattesi, who arrived on loan from Inter Milan, has already scored three goals and is equipped with a loan fee of five million euros as well as a purchase option of ten million euros for the coming summer. Striker Albert Gudmundsson was also signed on loan.