SSC Napoli host AS Roma today in a clash whose title repercussions could be eclipsed by the painful memories for the family of the last victim of Italian soccer-related violence.
The sides meet at Napoli’s Stadio San Paolo for the first time since the death of 31-year-old Ciro Esposito, a Napoli fan who was killed by a hardline Roma ultra on the fringes of the Coppa Italia final in May.
Esposito was allegedly shot by former ultra leader Daniele de Santis, who has since been arrested and is facing manslaughter charges.
Photo: Reuters
When Esposito died on June 25, Napoli fans called for revenge. At every Napoli home game, banners adorned with “Ciro Vive” (“Ciro is alive”) are regularly unfurled.
Faced with the prospect of violent clashes between Napoli and Roma fans, police have tightened security, with all Roma fans banned from traveling to the game.
While Esposito’s mother, Antonella Leardi, has called for calm, authorities have taken further measures by banning the sale of tickets to any fans from the larger Rome region of Latium. In Italy, identity cards must be shown by fans when buying tickets.
Roma, who lost ground to Juve following a scoreless draw away to high-flying UC Sampdoria last weekend, are now back level on points with the league leaders after Juve’s first defeat of the season on Wednesday.
Massimiliano Allegri’s men dominated at Genoa, but were left lamenting a series of missed chances when Luca Antonini struck for the hosts in the fourth minute of stoppage-time to secure a memorable win.
Three weeks after being sent to the stands for dissent during Roma’s only defeat so far this season — to Juventus — Giallorossi coach Rudi Garcia would be forgiven for feeling confident following his side’s 2-0 win over AC Cesena.
“Juve’s result is of no concern to us. Our focus has to be on our team and the crucial thing is for us to remain focused,” Garcia said.
Roma visit a Napoli side still smarting from their failure to take all three points in a 1-1 draw away to Atalanta BC in midweek.
Napoli’s Gonzalo Higuain and Marek Hamsik both ended their respective Serie A goal droughts last weekend, but after Higuain hit a late leveler in Bergamo, the Argentine saw a stoppage-time penalty saved by 22-year-old Marco Sportiello.
“We could have had another two points and moved up to third place. Now, we have to focus on the weekend and getting a win against Roma,” Slovakian midfielder Hamsik said.
Juve are on the road for the second successive game, but should account for an Empoli side struggling to make the weight in Serie A.
Maurizio Sarri’s men have won only once this season, a 3-0 defeat of US Citta di Palermo three weeks ago, and have lost their past two games in which they have shipped seven goals.
Juventus defender Angelo Ogbonna believes Empoli could adopt the same approach as many “inferior” sides and shut up shop at the back.
“We’ll come up against the same difficulties we had in Genoa. Teams when they play us tend to defend deep and it’s difficult to find space in which to operate,” the 26-year-old told the club’s Web site. “We need to be alert to counterattacks and show a more clinical approach.”
Inter, in eighth place, could provisionally go third if they beat Parma away in today’s late game, but AC Milan, held to a 1-1 draw at Cagliari in midweek, host struggling US Citta di Palermo tomorrow when coach Filippo Inzaghi expects a win.
“We could have done more, but as of Sunday we will already have the chance to collect important points. It won’t be easy for anybody to win here,” Inzaghi said.
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