Why there are no Lazio fans at Feyenoord match

Lazio fans are banned from attending tonight’s Champions League game against Feyenoord due to a long history of problems between the Dutch supporters and Italians.

It kicks off at the De Kuip Stadion in Rotterdam at 17.45 UK time (16.45 GMT).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from this game and PSG-Milan on the LIVEBLOG.

The Dutch authorities announced that they were going to ban Lazio supporters from attending the match in the Netherlands.

This decision was made largely because they already knew the Italian authorities would do the same to block Feyenoord fans from setting foot in the Eternal City for the return fixture.

This is due to a long and ugly history of clashes between Feyenoord fans and Italian, which started in February 2015 in the build-up to the Europa League match when the historic 17th Century Barcaccia fountain in Piazza Navona was vandalised.

It resulted in six fans being found guilty of vandalism, while hundreds more were stopped and fined for public urination.

There were also serious problems when hundreds of Feyenoord fans travelled to Rome in April 2023 for the Europa League quarter-final, despite being banned from attending.

It saw Napoli ultras unite with the Feyenoord groups to engage in street clashes.

Curiously, Lazio ultras decided that because they were not allowed to travel to Rotterdam this week, they instead made the shorter trip to Milan as guests of the Inter fans to cheer them on during the game against RB Salzburg.

Inter and Lazio ultras have been twinned for decades.