Serie A CEO casts doubt on new Rome Derby kick-off time: ‘I don’t think so’

Lega Serie A CEO Luigi De Siervo refuses to confirm that the Rome Derby will be moved to Monday, May 18: ‘I don’t think so.’

The schedule and kick-off times for Serie A Round 37 have led to a conflict between Lega Serie A and the Rome Prefecture.

This morning, public authorities in Rome ordered the rescheduling of the Rome Derby from Sunday, May 17, to Monday, May 18, for security reasons.

Lega Serie A is preparing an urgent appeal to the Regional Administrative Court (TAR), which has the power to overturn the ruling.

Reporters (via Calciomercato.com) asked De Siervo on Tuesday to confirm that the Derby would be played next Monday rather than Sunday, but he replied, “I don’t think so.”

The Rome Prefecture has moved the date and kick-off time of the Rome derby, as the Italian Open Tennis Final will also be played on Sunday, attracting over 20,000 tennis fans to the Foro Italico, which is next door to the Stadio Olimpico.

The problem for Lega Serie A is that teams fighting for the same target must play the last two rounds simultaneously.

Therefore, if Lega Serie A loses its appeal to TAR, four more Serie A games will likely be moved from Sunday to Monday: Juventus-Fiorentina, Genoa-Milan, Pisa-Napoli and Como-Parma.