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There are long queues on the motorway caused by reported clashes between Roma and Napoli fans who crossed paths on their way to games against Milan and Sampdoria respectively.
According to Il Messaggero, the Roma fans were travelling the same motorway towards Milan for tonight’s Serie A match at San Siro, while the Neapolitan supporters were heading towards Genoa for an earlier kick-off.
The trouble has been so bad that one lane of the Autostrada del Sole, the main motorway linking north to south, has been shut down, prompting queues of circa 8km.
Initial reports from eye-witnesses claim they were throwing fireworks and smoke bombs at each other outside the service station.
RAI News claim the trouble started when a bus full of Napoli fans saw the Roma coach going past and started throwing rocks and bottles.
The Roma vehicle then pulled over and they got out to walk towards the Napoli ultras along the side of the motorway, clashing at the service station.
Circa 300 fans were involved and one has been taken to hospital with injuries.
The clashes are reportedly at the same motorway service station where Lazio DJ and supporter Gabriele Sandri was accidentally shot dead by police trying to break up a fight between Lazio and Juventus ultras in 2007.
He was in the back of a car driving away from the scene when the stray bullet caught him.
There has always been a bitter rivalry between these sets of ultras, which famously hit the worst point when a Napoli supporter called Ciro Esposito was shot and killed by a Roma fan before the Coppa Italia Final between Napoli and Fiorentina at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome in May 2014.
Because of this, Roma and Napoli fans are generally banned from attending away games at each other’s stadiums.
