Roma vs Lazio is still scheduled for 11.30 BST, 12.30 CET on Sunday, May 17, but the derby is not settled yet. The Italian Open men's singles final is also on May 17, could feature home favourite Jannik Sinner, and the regular main entrance to the Curva Sud side of the Stadio Olimpico will be blocked off for football supporters so tennis traffic can get through.

Why the derby is being squeezed

The calendar problem is bigger than the tennis final alone. Lazio play Inter in the Coppa Italia final on Wednesday, May 13, and any move to Monday, May 18 would sit inside a crowded end-of-season week.

Maurizio Sarri was blunt about the situation, telling football-italia.net: "it is an insult to the city of Rome". He also said, "Ask the Lega Serie A why they didn't make Inter and Milan play at that time."

That complaint lands because AS Roma are fifth in Serie A with 64 points from 35 matches, while Lazio are eighth with 51 points from 35 matches. Roma are still in the Champions League race, so Serie A cannot just pick a slot that suits one club and ignore the rest.

What a change could mean for Serie A

If the derby is moved to Monday, May 18, the ripple effect could be wide. Genoa vs Milan, Juventus vs Fiorentina, Como vs Parma and potentially Pisa vs Napoli and Atalanta vs Bologna might also have to move, because the league would need to keep the competitive timing aligned for teams still fighting for Europe.

That is where the fairness issue becomes real rather than theoretical. Roma's position means any reschedule has to be handled with the same kick-off logic as the other clubs involved in the Champions League race, not as a one-off convenience fix.

The derby has also been tight on the pitch. The previous three league meetings finished AS Roma 2-0 Lazio, Lazio 1-1 AS Roma and Lazio 0-1 AS Roma, so the fixture already carries enough weight without the scheduling mess around it.

A decision is expected after the 36th round, but for now the listed kick-off remains Sunday lunchtime. If it does move, the arguments around security and fairness will both still be there when Serie A publishes the final call.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →