Futbol in Rome

Not sure what you mean by "sporty," but I do know that they call it "calcio," not "futbol." It's pronounced "KAHL-tshoh" and it means "kick".

Good luck.

Miguel -
I saw AS Roma play Sampdoria in the Olympic Stadium last year and if by "sporty" you mean unruly, the crowd was fairy well behaved. A couple of flares but no fighting. I have heard a Roma-Lazio match brings out the worst of the Ultras. Roma thankfully will be moving in to a new stadium in 2016, as the Olympic is old, dated, and feels empty even when there are 50,000 inside.
I've also been to matches in Germany, Spain, and England, and all were better experiences then in Rome.

Locals may not appreciate Spanish at the stadium but you'll be fine using Spanish when necessary. My non-Italian speaking friend spoke Spanish everywhere and no one batted an eye. Italians in general are very accepting of other languages (well, maybe not Quirite at the stadium...).

but I do know that they call it "calcio," not "futbol."

Be rest assured the locals know what the word "football" means. Half the teams Serie A have the word football in their name. It's every bit as safe as attending an NFL game in the US, and you'll see a lot less alcohol consumption.

@mph, I'm not sure why "Poor Miguel." He asked a question and got a lot of helpful information. No need to feel offended on someone else's behalf. Life's too short to go looking for offenses.

Got it, will see if there is a calcio match while I am there. And molto grazie for all the language lessons too ... looking forward to Roma.

Our resident soccer fan thought the same as Larry and Quirite, that fans could be rowdier when top rivals play, but otherwise, just go and support either Roma or Lazio, depending which one is featured.

fans could be rowdier when top rivals play

So in other words fans would behave the same as if the NY Yankees were playing the NY Mets, Isnlander/Ranger/Devils, Nicks/Nets, or Asenal/Chelsea; nothing to be overly concerned about- theses derbies happen every season without incident. Armageddon won't happen;) Perhaps I'm a soccer snob but I wouldn't waste vacation time going to a match unless it was a big match like Roma/Lazio.
They only downsize is that ticket prices will be sky high.

I was there for a Lazio - Fiorentina game last year and loved it. Very safe and fun.I like to support the home teams I'm watching when traveling and purchased a Lazio scarf to wear to the game. I bought my tickets from the offical team store in Rome and they asked fo rmy passport. I think they put the tourists together, most of or row was Americans, Russians and Germans. It was fun. It wasn't full and after halftime we were able to move around the stadium for a different view of the field and section. You probably won't get tickets behind the goal where the ultra fans are.

The Stadio is real easy to get to using the Metro and Tram there.

I've heard about the Lazio-Rome matches to be cautious but that woudln't stop me from going.

I went to an AS Roma v. Atalanta BC game at the Olympic Stadium and had a blast. I bought our tickets online through the AS Roma website. I found it quite safe as a female. There are quite a few flares in the sections behind the goals, and A LOT of flags, but I found that pretty awesome to be a part of. It was an easy bus ride from Trastevere to the stadium, although be prepared for crowds trying to take the same public transportation after the game.

AND . . . don't plan on having your dinner that night in the stadium. Eat outside of the stadium at one of the vendors, or go somewhere beforehand/afterwards. In the stadium you have a choice of a raw hot dog or a sad looking pizza. The beer was quite good, however.

I actually believe that going to a football match in Europe is one of the best ways to learn about the country's people. The passion of the supporters over there is something U.S. sports teams could only dream about. Enjoy as match Miguel and tell us about your experiences.

FORZA ROSSONERI!