Lotito Invites School Groups To Coppa Italia Semi As Lazio Boycott Continues

Lazio’s tension with their organised supporter groups is set to spill into another high-profile night at the Stadio Olimpico. After the Curva Nord boycott left the stadium largely empty for the recent home matches against Genoa and Atalanta, the same groups have confirmed they will also stay away from the Coppa Italia semi-final first leg against Atalanta on March 4, despite public appeals from Maurizio Sarri and Adam Marusic.

With the risk of another near-silent Olimpico, Lazio have reportedly chosen an alternative way to put people in the stands. Multiple Italian outlets report the club is inviting students from four schools, plus teachers, staff, and families, to attend the Coppa Italia match.

The backdrop is the ticket situation. Il Corriere dello Sport’s figures, relayed by other sources, claim roughly 28,000 season-ticket holders did not use their priority purchase window for the cup tie, with sales in the early phase described as extremely low.

Instead of calming the atmosphere, the move has reportedly angered the organised groups even more. The criticism is that Lazio are trying to “stage” a normal matchday by placing children and families in seats that ultras would normally occupy, in order to soften the public image of the protest and reduce the visual impact of empty stands.

Sources close to the club, however, insist this is not a one-off trick. They argue that inviting schools and youth groups is something Lazio have done for years, and that the initiative is being framed internally as community outreach rather than a political response to the boycott.

Either way, the message is clear: the split between the club’s leadership and a large part of its organised fanbase remains unresolved. And with a Coppa Italia semi-final on the line, Lazio are heading into one of the biggest nights of their season with the atmosphere around the stadium becoming almost as significant as what happens on the pitch.