There is a good chance that no Rotterdam fans will be welcome in Italy on April 20, when Feyenoord will play the return in the quarterfinals of the Europa League against AS Roma. Mayor Roberto Gualtieri of Rome will do everything he can to keep Feyenoord supporters out of his city. He has asked the Minister of the Interior to issue a ban on away fans.
Feyenoord already played Lazio in the Conference League this season, but then also had to watch how fans were not welcome in Stadio Olimpico. The same scenario now seems to be playing out in the quarter-finals of the Europa League, as Gualtieri has urged his colleagues for a total ban on away supporters. “I called the minister and expressed my concern,” the mayor said Corriere dello Sport.
“I have asked Minister Matteo Piantedosi to look into a ban for Feyenoord fans. We want to do everything we can to protect the city of Rome and the population. We have already had to deal with serious violence,” Gualtieri refers to the destruction in 2005. At the time, Feyenoord supporters damaged the monumental Barcaccia fountain in the center of Rome, which resulted in damage worth several million.
It is the second time in a year that Feyenoord and AS Roma meet in a European context. Last year, the meeting was the final of the Conference League. Then the Romans took the win. Around that duel, there were also some disturbances in Tirana and the Albanian police had to intervene to prevent worse. Feyenoord will play at home on April 13 and travel to Rome on April 20.
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