In Italy, the capital derby once again ends in a fight. At the center: Mats Hummels. The coach of the 2014 world champions expresses regret.
06.01.2025, 15:25
06.01.2025, 15:30
dpa
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- In the Roman derby between AS Roma and Lazio, a controversial incident involving Mats Hummels and Valentin Castellanos led to chaos in stoppage time.
- Castellanos saw red after apparently headbutting Hummels.
- Opinions on the scene are divided, however. One newspaper accused the German defender of acting.
After AS Roma's clear 2:0 victory in the Italian capital derby against Lazio, a headbutt scene involving Mats Hummels continues to cause debate. Roma coach Claudio Ranieri expressed his regret after the game: "I'm sorry for what happened at the end." Shortly before the end, players and supporters from both teams came to blows in the Olympic Stadium. Despite the victory, Roma (10th) are still twelve points behind city rivals Lazio (4th) in the table.
The trigger on Sunday evening was a scene in the third minute of stoppage time when AS Roma were clearly in the lead. Hummels, the 2014 world champion, fouled his Argentinian counterpart Valentin Castellanos on the touchline. As they got up, the two clashed heads. Suddenly, the German fell to the ground, put both hands to his face and indicated that he had been headbutted by the Lazio attacker.
Opinions divided over headbutt scene
The TV images also show a kick from the Argentine against Hummels' left thigh. The referee then showed Castellanos the red card. Opinions on the scene are divided. The sports newspaper "Corriere dello Sport" spoke of "total chaos" on Monday.
The daily newspaper "La Repubblica", on the other hand, only recognized "a traditional brawl in the final minutes, as it belongs to the Roman derby". At the same time, it praised Hummels for his impeccable performance. Castellanos had provoked him.
The sports newspaper "Tuttosport", on the other hand, wrote that the former Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich Bundesliga professional had only faked the punch to the face. "In an instant, both benches were on the pitch."
Corriere dello Sport also expressed surprise at the German's rapid recovery. "You can see how Hummels first asks for the fans' support in the middle of his recovery, then smiles and dances wildly when he returns to the changing room after the party with the fans."
Batons and pyro confiscated
Clashes between the sometimes fiercely hostile fan groups are a regular occurrence at matches between the two capital city clubs. On Sunday evening, the police again used water cannons to prevent worse. At least one Ultra was arrested. Several dozen batons, firecrackers and rockets were also confiscated. The police also removed anti-Semitic flyers from circulation. There is a hard core of neo-fascists among the Lazio fans.