Ultrà: Rome-Hellas Verona tension rises, security is strengthened. More clashes are feared

The tension rises in view of tonight’s match between the Giallorossi and Verona, scheduled at the Olimpico. Not so much for the absences at Roma – José Mourinho will have to give up Lorenzo Pellegrini and Paulo Dybala, but probably also Tammy Abraham who has accused flu symptoms – but above all for what could happen outside the stadium after yesterday the fans of the Red Star, in the match against Cucaricki of the Serbian superliga, they displayed and burned banners stolen from the Romanist ultras in the ambush that took place in Piazza Mancini two weeks ago. The object of that assault was the Fedayeen, a historic group from the Curva Sud and politically oriented to the left. Unlike the Veronese ultras who have always been on the right, exactly like the Lazio people. For this reason, the Rome Police Headquarters runs for cover to avoid new problems of public order. The Police Commissioner of Rome Carmine Belfiore with an ordinance has ordered to strengthen the controls of the forces of order both at the Olympic stadium and in all the meeting places of the fans. The fear is that after yesterday’s episode at the Belgrade stadium where Red Star fans displayed and burned banners stolen from the Roma ultras in the raid two weeks ago, someone might think of ‘attacking’ the Giallorossi fans, still burned by that episode. The ordinance, among other things, comes after the Interior Ministry’s request to intensify checks, in particular on matches involving fans twinned with Rome and Naples. Last February 4, the Serbian ultras had stolen many banners from the Romanists, including the banner of the ‘Fedayn’ and another with the inscription ‘Barilla’. In the brawl that took place a few meters from the stadium after the match between the hosts and Empoli, which finished 2-0, two ultras from the yellow and red Curva Sud were injured. For those facts, the Rome prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into a fight and the carrying of an improper weapon. The investigations were delegated to the Digos police officers. In the images of the attack several Serbian fans can be seen emerging from the flowerbeds armed with clubs and sticks. After attacking the group, which also included some girls, they fled and managed to return to their homeland. The attack could be attributable to the twinning between Red Star of Belgrade and Napoli fans and therefore linked to the clashes between the Giallorossi and the Neapolitans which took place on 8 January on the A1 at the Badia al Pino motorway service station. A sort of revenge where the Serbian ‘twins’ operated.