The Stadio Olimpico, stage of the Coppa Italia final between Napoli and Fiorentina, has hosted only controversy as of yet. It was 21:20 in Rome and the final had already been delayed by 20 minutes due to the disruption caused by the Napoli fans.
Before the game, a group of Napoli fans were surrounded by a second group of unidentified people. A fight ensued and three Napoli fans were injured, and one of them was shot and is in dangerous condition at the hospital. Apparently, the confrontation had nothing to do with the game.
The Coppa Italia final: Napoli in battle against Fiorentina
As a response, the Napoli fans inside the stadium began throwing firecrackers on the pitch and demanded Hamsik, Napoli’s captain, to go and talk to the fans. After a brief exchange between the captain and the Ultras, the situation quickly degenerated with Napoli fans throwing more firecrackers at firefighters on the field.
Hamsik tries to talk some sense into the Ultras, to no avail
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At that point, it was not clear yet whether the game would be played or not. The situation was tense and very delicate, as law enforcement tried to reason with the fans.
At 21.30 local time, the teams made a new entry on the field and started warming up for a second time. The game finally went underway.
An unfortunately all too common image in Italian football
The opening ceremony was cancelled and only the Italian anthem was performed, despite the whistling from the crowd and Pope Francesco’s request that this be a celebration of a sport, rather than a confrontation between fans.
Scenes before the 2014 Coppa Italia fina kicked off
