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| The 'Curva Sud' at the Roma - Lazio Derby, Stadio Olimpico - an amazing sight. |
Romans are passionate about their football - almost as passionate as we are! In Italian culture, allegiance to your team comes second only to allegiance to your family.
So if you have soccer fans in the family and you're planning a trip to Italy for kids or looking for things to do in Rome, go to one of the Italian shops selling everything and anything related to the Roman teams currently in the Serie 'A' of the Italian football league: Roma (our second team after Everton F.C.!) and Lazio.
Or even better - bring Italian football truly alive and go to a match - it's a brilliant experience.
Italian shops : buy match tickets at the Stadio Olimpico.
Perhaps not exactly one of the best known shops in Rome, although the two home sides have souvenir stores here.
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| Passions run high at the Stadio Olimpico. |
For us it's one of the main Rome tourist attractions. It's an amazing place just to see, and if you can get tickets for a local Roma - Lazio derby, so much the better - it's one of our favourite things to do in Rome.
Don't worry too much about reports of violence, they're grossly over-exaggerated and we have never had a problem. Just turn up and expect to enjoy the match - no trip to Italy for kids is complete without it!
The soccer season in Italy starts in the late summer or early autumn and goes through to late spring. In the 2009 - 2010 season the two derbys will be on Sunday 6 December (technically, Roma's home game) and Sunday 18 April 2010 (technically Lazio's). You can reserve seats in advance on internet ticket sites but you'll pay anything up to €200.
If you're in Rome near the time of the matches you'll be able to buy tickets at the Stadio for a maximum of around €100 for the big games and as little as €10 for the less popular seats, from any of a number of shops in Italy, or from approved ticket vendors in Rome itself.
For sell-out matches there will always be ticket touts by the tram stop in the Piazza Mancini but beware of these - it's illegal, and they may be fake.
See the teams' own sites below for a list of approved shops in Rome selling football tickets.
Italian shops : the A.S. Roma store.
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| The official Roma logo should be on all official purchases. |
If you want official Roma team wear, the A.S. Roma shop is at Piazza Colonna 360, near the Pantheon at the bottom of the Via del Corso.
It sells everything from full kits, scarves and hats to lingerie, baby bottles, bags, wallets and pennants - anything and everything Roma, all of course emblazoned with the very recognisable red and yellow Roma logo.
This is a good place for soccer fans to get some souvenirs to take home; the goods cost anything from a few Euros to hundreds. You can also buy tickets for home games here.
Open between 10 a.m. and 7.30 p.m. Monday to Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 7.30 p.m. on a Sunday.
The Italian Football League : some basic information about A.S. Roma :
 | The distinctive A.S. Roma logo. |
| Full name : | Associazione Sportiva Roma |
| Nicknames : | Giallorossi (Yellow-red), Magica (Magic) |
| Founded : | July 22, 1927 |
| Ground : | Stadio Olimpico, Rome - Curva Sud. |
| Capacity : | 82,307 |
| President : | Rosella Sensi  |
| Manager : | Luciano Spalletti |
| Team Captain : | Francesco Totti |
| Italian football league position (end of 2008 - 2009 season) : | Serie A : 6th. |
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Italian shops : the S.S. Lazio store.
Lazio Point : The S.S. Lazio store is on Via Farini, near Termini station. This is the oldest and most well known of the four Lazio shops in Rome and stocks 'retro' merchandise as well as the current kits.
When you're thinking of things to do in Rome you may prefer your kids to look for designer children's Italian clothes - but soccer fans will undoubtedly prefer this trendy kit. All the clothing is expensive but kids will be also able to buy the usual small gifts like keyrings and mugs. A must for all Italian football league fanatics.
Open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday, and on Sundays when the Lazio team are playing at home.
The Italian Football League : some basic information about S.S. Lazio :
 | The sky blue S.S. Lazio logo. |
| Full name : | Società Sportiva Lazio |
| Nicknames : | Biancocelesti (White and sky blue), Aquile (Eagles). |
| Founded : | January 9, 1900. |
| Ground : | Stadio Olimpico, Rome - Curva Nord |
| Capacity : | 82,307 |
| President : | Claudio Lotito |
| Manager : | Davide Ballardini |
| Team Captain : | Sebastiano Siviglia |
| Italian football league position (end of 2008 - 2009 season) : | Serie A : 10th. |
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If you're going to Rome to watch football, chances are you're going in the autumn or winter. So ...
here's our page about Rome in the autumn ...
... and this is what to expect in Rome in the winter.
Put the fun back into Rome for kids with our child-focused
guide to the best Italian shops the city has to offer.
Food in Rome kids love: where to go and what to eat.
Return from our page about Italian shops for soccer fans to
our home page about Italian culture.
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