Serie A President Simonelli Defends Early Kickoff Time for Roma Derby
Serie A·5 May 2026·10h ago

Serie A President Simonelli Defends Early Kickoff Time for Roma Derby

Source: Forza Roma

Ezio Simonelli, president of Lega Serie A, defended the scheduling of the upcoming Derby della Capitale at 12:30 p.m., stating that while he understands the controversy surrounding the early kickoff, it offers a positive opportunity for the match to reach audiences in Eastern markets. The derby is set to take place in two weeks.

The early kickoff has drawn sharp criticism from prominent figures in Italian football. Maurizio Sarri issued a strong rebuke, calling the fixture time an insult to Roma, both Roman clubs, and their supporters, and stating that someone must be held accountable. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini acknowledged the difficulties but explained the constraints: "The problem is that there are no other time slots. I don't think anyone is happy playing at 12:30. But I've been told that evening fixtures aren't possible for public order reasons, while Monday at 6 p.m. would be even worse. At least we're playing on Sunday."

Gasperini's comments came in his post-match remarks following Roma's fixture against Fiorentina. The scheduling conflict reflects ongoing tensions between broadcast interests and traditional match-day preferences in Italian football, with the league weighing international viewership potential against domestic fan sentiment.

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Serie A, Simonelli: “Derby alle 12:30? È positivo, lo vedranno anche in Oriente” - Forzaroma.info Forzaroma.infoI migliori video scelti dal nostro canaleforzaroma news as roma Serie A, Simonelli: “Derby alle 12:30? È positivo, lo vedranno anche in Oriente”news as romaSerie A, Simonelli: “Derby alle 12:30? È positivo, lo vedranno anche in Oriente”RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - JANUARY 02: AC Milan Senior Advisor to Ownership Zlatan Ibrahimovic and President Lega Calcio Ezio Simonelli attend at the Italian Embassy on January 02, 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Claudio Villa/AC Milan via Getty Images)Le sue parole: "Al di là dei motivi per cui si gioca a quell'ora penso sia una cosa positiva" Redazione 5 maggio 2026 (modifica il 5 maggio 2026 | 15:52) Ezio Simonelli, presidente della Lega Serie A, è intervenuto a margine del Merger & Acquisition Summit 2026, affrontando diversi temi legati al campionato. Tra questi, anche il prossimo derby della Capitale: "Tra due settimane ci sarà il derby di Roma alle 12:30: al di là dei motivi per cui si gioca a quell’ora, c’è la possibilità positiva che la partita venga vista in Oriente", ha dichiarato Simonelli, commentando una scelta di orario che ha già sollevato numerose polemiche.Scegli tu cosa leggere: metti Forzaroma.info tra le tue fonti GoogleDurissima la posizione di Maurizio Sarri: "Giocare a quell’ora è un insulto a Roma, alle due società romane, ai tifosi e qualcuno deve pagare". Sul tema è intervenuto anche Gian Piero Gasperini, nel post partita contro la Fiorentina: "Il problema è che non ci sono altri orari. Non penso che qualcuno sia felice di giocare alle 12:30. Però mi hanno spiegato che giocare di sera non è possibile per motivi di ordine pubblico, mentre il lunedì alle 18 sarebbe ancora peggio. Almeno giochiamo domenica".Leggi anche Giudice Sportivo, ottava sanzione per Hermoso. Mancini a rischio per il derby Gasperini vuole blindare i senatori: pressing per i rinnovi di Celik ed El Shaarawy © RIPRODUZIONE RISERVATA

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