We brought you the story of a shooting before Saturday’s Coppa Italia final, and now our friends at Soccerly have a first-hand account of what it was like inside the Stadio Olimpico as Napoli topped Fiorentina 3-1.
Soccerly’s Anthony Lopopolo was in Rome for the match, and gives a very critical review of what he witnessed. There’s plenty of hubbub regarding rumors in Napoli in recent weeks, and the club has hit back. But on a violent day in Italy, Lopopolo’s impressions were not favorable.
From Soccerly:The game was delayed almost an hour after a shooting took place a few kilometres away from the stadium. There were various skirmishes between rival fans before the game, even outside the Eternal City and on the way to Rome, some throwing firecrackers at each other in the streets, according to the Guardian.
The police looked ready for something bad to happen.There were lines of swat teams hours before kick-off. They closed off streets around the stadium. Armoured vehicles cut off the main arteries of Stadio Olimpico. The carabinieri directed fans of Napoli and Fiorentina to either side. The two factions would not mingle.Follow @nicholasmendola
