Milan dominance at the Stadio Olimpico as Lazio fans boycott
On a gloomy Saturday evening at the Stadio Olimpico the stands were almost empty, while around ten thousand Milan fans held the majority and the official home team, the Romans, were barely seen. The atmosphere was muted, the sounds subdued, and the tension between supporters and club management palpable.
Although the Romans were officially the home team, the stands were mainly filled with supporters of AC Milan, who were in the majority at the Stadio Olimpico. This contrast between official status and actual presence highlighted the unrest surrounding the club. The hard core of Lazio fans have been boycotting home matches for a long time in protest against chairman Claudio Lotito.
The ultras of Lazio have been waging a battle against the club president for a long time and have decided not to buy season tickets and to avoid home matches. As a result, several matches this season have already been played in an almost empty Olimpico. For the match against Milan, the 5,500 tickets available for the away section were snapped up quickly, after which additional sections were allocated to the visitors.
Italian media estimate that about 10,000 Milan fans were present, compared with roughly 6,000 Lazio fans. A portion of the Lazio fans cheered the team from outside the stadium, but did not enter the stands.
Coach Gattuso on the empty stands
Coach Gennaro Gattuso expressed his disappointment over the situation and emphasized that the lack of supporters goes beyond just the atmosphere in the stadium. ‘We can do little about the situation in the stands. If they come to Formello to support us, that’s up to the lads. We must remain serious and deliver worthy performances,’ he said. For Gattuso a stadium without fans is simply not football.
Reminder of the coronavirus period
He compared the current emptiness to the coronavirus period, when stadiums were filled to twenty to thirty percent. ‘It’s not easy to play here. We miss the fans enormously. With fifty thousand people cheering us on, we would enjoy this so much more,’ Gattuso said.
Despite the empty stands Lazio have started the season excellently, with three consecutive wins in the league. However, the club was surprisingly knocked out of the Coppa Italia by Mantova. Coach Gattuso praised the mentality of his players, although he noted that the second half was not read well.