Lazio have been a little panicky this week that their support may be outnumbered by Celtic fans on Thursday.
Lazio’s Stadio Olimpico has a capacity of over 70,000, but their average attendance is less than half that figure. That’s for Serie A, they do much worse in the Europa League.
Celtic are well known for having a huge travelling support, yet it would still be hugely embarrassing for a club of Lazio’s size to be outnumbered in their own ground.
On Monday, Marco Canigiani, the Italian club’s marketing director, was quoted by La Lazio Solo as saying: “For the match on Thursday we’ve sold more than 14,000 tickets, but most of these will go to Celtic. We expect growth in sales for the Lazio section.
“Thursday will be an important match in terms of qualification, it will be necessary to support the team… we hope to be in the majority at the Olimpico considering there will be around 9,000 fans visiting from Scotland.”
Tickets are being priced very cheaply, from just €10, and available right up until kick-off from outlets around the city.
In just a day the story has changed somewhat. It’s no surprise Lazio have now sold more tickets, but it is a surprise for Canigiani to dramatically reduce the number of Celtic fans he says will have tickets.
Quoted by the same La Lazio Solo today, he explained: “18,000 quota exceeded. Obviously there was an important number of tickets sold to Celtic fans, which will be around 7,000. We hope to reach 30,000, which would be a setting worthy of such an important match. The prices are very affordable, we hope for a surge in sales.”
Perhaps Lazio are fearful of of the numbers being roughly even, so now want to talk down how many Celtic fans will be in attendance, especially with the possibility of travelling supporters buying tickets for the home ends.
