Prefect bars residents of the Lazio region from Napoli-Lazio tickets

The league leaders will have no away support at the Maradona on Sunday 8 November. The authorities have judged the game high-risk for public order.

by Gennaro SanninoWednesday 4 November, 18:21 CET· 2 hours ago

Lo stadio Diego Armando Maradona di Napoli

Lo stadio Diego Armando Maradona — Foto: Francesco Boggia · CC BY 3.0

There will be no Lazio supporters at the Maradona on Sunday 8 November. Michele di Bari, the prefect of Naples (the state's representative in the city), has banned ticket sales to anyone living in the Lazio region for the match, which kicks off at 12:30 CET (11:30 UK, 06:30 ET). Against the league leaders, the stadium will be ours alone.

The prefecture said the decision was taken on the ruling of the committee that assesses security at sporting events. The committee accepted a proposal from the Questura di Napoli (the city's police headquarters). Both bodies pointed to what they called "high-risk factors for public order and public safety".

The prefecture gave no further details, and we will not go beyond what it said. On matters like these, we do not speculate and we do not go looking for colour.

What it means on the pitch

What matters is how the decision changes things on the pitch and in the stands. Lazio arrive top of the table with 28 points. Napoli are eighth with 14, exactly half that, and come into the game after the 2-0 at the Allianz Stadium.

Allegri returns to the bench after serving a two-match ban. He already has 11 players definitely unavailable: Buongiorno, Badiashile, Favasuli, Di Lorenzo, Spinazzola, Olivera, Lobotka, De Bruyne, Neres, Alisson Santos and Marianucci, who is suspended. Milinković-Savić is a doubt. Højlund should be fit.

No excuses left

We will say it as supporters. A stadium with no away end takes away someone's last excuse. If the Maradona is all blue, the only pressure that counts is the pressure the crowd puts on its own team.

Right now the fanbase wants answers from Allegri about the football and the league position. A timid performance in front of our own people, against a side with twice our points, would hurt more than any chant from the away end.

First, though, there is Porto. Napoli play them in the Champions League at the Dragão at 21:00 CET on Wednesday 4 November. Then, at 12:30 CET on Sunday 8 November against Lazio, we will find out whether this team still has something to say to its supporters.