ROME (AP) — Playing the Rome derby during the lunchtime heat to discourage fan violence after the previous match was likened to ‘urban warfare’ is “a loss for soccer,” Lazio coach Maurizio Sarri said on Saturday.

The derby on Sunday will start at 12:30 p.m. local time (1030 GMT) after 24 police officers were injured during clashes at a night derby in April.

The temperature in the Stadio Olimpico during gametime is forecast to rise above 30 degrees (nearly 90 F).

“It’s a loss for soccer, because at that hour with this heat it will affect the pace of the match,” Sarri said. “It’s also a loss for the authorities because it means that they couldn’t guarantee public order at a different time.”

Ultras convention

The Rome derby has become a sort of convention for hard-core “ultra” fan groups

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