Pope’s funeral: Lazio-Parma toward postponement, Inter-Roma (for now) to be played

The recent death of Pope Francis is also having a profound impact on the world of Italian soccer. After the postponement of matches scheduled in recent days as a sign of mourning, attention is now shifting to Saturday, April 26, the date of the Pontiff’s funeral. Among the matches scheduled in Serie A, Lazio-Parma is the challenge that is in serious danger of being postponed for reasons related to public order.

The match, originally scheduled for Saturday at 8:45 p.m. at the Stadio Olimpico, in fact coincides with a particularly delicate moment for the capital, which will be invaded by millions of faithful from all over the world to pay homage to the Holy Father. Authorities are assessing the impossibility of guaranteeing the necessary security for the match to take place, especially considering that the stadium is located in an area that is already high density during religious events of such magnitude.

The Lega Serie A is working closely with the institutions to define a new date, and the most concrete hypothesis at the moment is the postponement of the match to Monday or even Wednesday, taking advantage of the fact that Lazio is no longer engaged in European competitions.

Different is the discourse for Inter-Roma, also scheduled on Saturday, but at 6 p.m. Despite the media and sporting importance of the challenge, the risk of postponement seems averted. The calendar is already saturated, and finding an alternative date for a match that could prove decisive in the Scudetto or Champions League race would be extremely complicated.

In the final analysis, the Serie A day will undergo only partial changes, but the climate will inevitably be affected by such a historic and solemn event as the Pope’s funeral.