My Favourite Derby: Five fans on their treasured memories

The derby through the memories of five Roma fans.

Five different games, seen at the stadium or on TV.

It’s never easy to find the words to describe those moments, but these five Roma supporters have given it a go.

Lazio 0-3 Roma, 27 November 1994

Andrea, 51: “I’ve never been scared of Lazio in my life, but that week – derby week – was really tough. Everyone was saying we were going to get stuffed. It wasn’t the greatest Roma side, but they did themselves proud out there. I watched it on TV, on Rai 3. Abel Balbo, Massimiliano Cappioli and Daniel Fonseca got the goals.

"Giuseppe Giannini – who was getting a lot of stick at that point – produced a magnificent performance in his natural position as a deep-lying playmaker. The day after, daubed on the walls of the Prima Porta cemetery was this immortal line: ‘You don’t know what you missed.’.”

Roma 3-1 Lazio, 11 April 1999

Fabio, 35: “This derby was a liberation. It was a win we’d been waiting for for nearly five years, against a Lazio side that were top at that point with seven rounds to go.

"The foundations of that victory had been laid in the reverse fixture earlier in the season, when we managed to fight back from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 with ten men. It was one of the last derbies I didn’t see at the stadium – I was 13 at the time and the games against Lazio were too much for me.

"The hero of the day was Marco Delvecchio, who scored a first-half brace. It was the game he made a name for himself once and for all. But then on 79 minutes Christian Vieri got one back, setting up an agonising finale. When it got to 89 minutes, I couldn’t take it anymore. I left the lounge – where I used to watch the football with my parents – and went into my room.

"Door shut, light off. I couldn’t deal with the tension of added time. But barely two minutes had passed before my mum came in shouting: '3-1! 3-1!'. What a feeling. That Francesco Totti goal was the last derby goal I didn’t see live.”

Roma 4-1 Lazio, 21 November 1999

Emiliano, 36: “My first derby at the stadium was special – almost unbelievably so. I was in the Tevere stand, seeing as my season ticket was in the Curva Nord. If you had a season ticket in the Nord, you were moved into the Tevere when the derby came around. That’s still how it works now.

"It was a scintillating derby, that 4-1 win in November 1999. In the build-up, Lazio had been described as ‘something out of a science-fiction film’ and ‘a team of extra-terrestrials’, but Roma – under Fabio Capello, during his first season with the club – never gave them a second to think, scoring four goals in the first 31 minutes.

"First it was Marco Delvecchio from a Cristiano Zanetti assist, then Vincenzo Montella played in by Amedeo Mangone, then Delvecchio again courtesy of Francesco Totti and finally Montella once more, again from a Mangone assist. Four goals, all of them in front of the Curva Nord.

"Nobody was predicting that the night before. It was amazing to witness it in the flesh. I’ll never forget my first derby.”

Lazio 0-1 Roma, 17 December 2000

Claudia, 41: “To be honest, I never thought I’d find myself having to thank a Lazio player. But I owe the fact that I’m a Roma fan to one – to Paolo Negro.

"It was my first match at the stadium, so up until then I hadn’t experienced the crazy, joyous feeling that comes with supporting Roma. It was all just wonderful. The display with the emblems of the Empire were memorable, as was Cafu’s tormenting of Pavel Nedved.

"We won thanks to an own goal – and that was that. I went to celebrate in Piazza Venezia with my then boyfriend.”

Roma 1-1 Lazio, 8 March 2003

Simone, 38: “The derby. What can you say? It’s not my favourite match of the season, to be honest. In fact, if it were down to me I’d happily get rid of it!

"I envy those who supported Roma in the 1980s… not just because they got to watch Paulo Roberto Falcao in the flesh, but because the other lot were in the league below, so they didn’t have that problem. Some people prefer to watch the derby at the stadium to share the burden, but not me. If I watch it on television, I feel just as involved and just don’t have to experience all of it at such close quarters.

"I’m happy to avoid the possibility of having to watch their fans celebrate – it just sounds different when it’s a derby. Anyway, my derby memory is not of a win, but of a draw…

“It wasn’t even all that important in terms of the league table. Antonio Cassano scored our goal, getting in front of Fernando Couto to head home an equaliser. It came late on, meaning they failed to win a derby that season, even though there were four of them including the Coppa Italia ones. Both league derbies finished as draws, while Roma got two wins in the cup.

"I’ll never forget the Roma fans singing 'You never win' at the end. In my eyes, your first job when it comes to the derby is to not lose. Then if you win, obviously it’s better. In fact, it’s everything.”