A hundred radical fans of Genoa and Sampdoria, Genoa’s eternal rivals, clashed this Wednesday near the Luigi Ferraris stadium, where tonight the two teams will play in the Coppa Italia a tension-filled derby that hasn’t been played in two years.
The bad relationship between both fans became radicalized a few months ago because of the intensity of their confrontation. In May they were involved in a mass fight and just days later Sampdoria fans stabbed a Genoa fan, prompting a response in the form of a robbery at the Samp ultras headquarters.
There is currently no will to bring the positions closer between the two fans and The Lantern Derby raises tension in the city from Genoa, which in the early afternoon, with five left before the game, experienced the first confrontations between the radicals.
Street clashes
A group of hooded men from each fan, both armed with metal bars, began throwing flares and street objects such as traffic signs at each other to try to intimidate rival fans, as seen in videos circulating on social networks.
The police, who had to intervene to stop the confrontation and prevent any damage, prepared a special operation to prevent fights from taking place throughout the afternoon or even after the game, which starts at 9:00 pm.
Commercial areas around the stadium, according to Italian media, are aiming to close earlier than planned to avoid damage during the start of the match.
First derby since 2022
This Wednesday’s match, for a place in the round of 16 of the Coppa Italia, This is the first between the two teams since April 30, 2022, when they were in Serie A. Genoa was relegated that year and returned to the elite in 2023, when Samp lost the category, so they now play in Serie B.
Agreement to purchase Luigi Ferraris
Far from the bad relationship between the fans, the directors of both clubs reported on Monday that they will buy the Luigi Ferraris Stadium together to share it in the future as owners 50/50.
“Genoa and Sampdoria officially announce the birth of Genova Stadium Srl, a company made up equally of the two clubs. The company aims to formulate an offer for the purchase of the Luigi Ferraris Stadium and its subsequent appraisal,” they said in statement.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
