With the alleged bed bug bites from Milan finally healing, I found myself back in Rome once again. This time, though, it wasn’t another quick solo dash. Liosa and I decided to make a proper weekend of it, booking an Airbnb near Ponte Milvio and giving the trip a slightly slower rhythm.
On the pitch, it was never going to be simple. Bologna have grown into a serious Serie A side over the past couple of seasons, organised, confident, and no longer anyone’s idea of an easy afternoon. There was also an added emotional layer: the first time Ciro Immobile returned to the Olimpico, a moment that was always going to carry weight, whatever the result.
There was a personal milestone too. During the weekend, the Futbology app pinged up to tell me this was my 150th live Lazio match. I won’t lie — it feels like I’ve been to more. It’s been a rollercoaster of a journey, full of joy, frustration, devotion and repetition… and I’ve loved every bit of it.
And finally, as with so many of these trips, I had something quietly personal planned for the journey home: a stop to pay my respects to Gabriele Sandri, a ritual that continues to anchor these weekends in something deeper than football alone.
The journey & the Airbnb
With Liosa, myself, and the two dogs all travelling together, driving was the only option that made sense — even if it never fails to amaze me just how much stuff dogs seem to require. I sent a photo of the boot, fully loaded, to my friend Matthew, who’s recently had a baby daughter. His reply was perfect: “That’s exactly what it’s like when we go anywhere now.” Different dependants, same chaos.
The Airbnb itself was lovely — well located, comfortable, and advertised as dog-friendly. Unfortunately, despite us leaving the place in what we genuinely felt was good condition, the hosts didn’t seem overly happy about our two dogs, and their review reflected that. It was a real shame, because we’d happily stayed there again. Instead, it looks like I’ll be retreating back to the familiar safety of Booking.com for future trips.
Saturday dinner
Saturday night was special. With my wife with me, I wanted to do something a little different — somewhere I’d had on my list for years. Moi, in Flaminia, had long intrigued me, and it didn’t disappoint. This wasn’t a traditional Roman menu, but it was exceptional — creative, refined, and confident. The Tiramisù, in particular, was ridiculous. One of those desserts you talk about the next day.
We’d already had a few drinks before arriving — including an impromptu stop while walking the dogs — and during dinner we made the classic mistake of ordering a second bottle of Nobile di Montepulciano that absolutely wasn’t necessary… but was very much enjoyed. The wine nearly doubled the bill, but some evenings earn that indulgence. This was one of them.
Sunday lunch
We were up early-ish on Sunday to walk the dogs and hunt down what we desperately needed: a “Black Doctor” — otherwise known as a Coca-Cola. I was struggling badly. At that point, I genuinely didn’t know how I was going to survive the ninety minutes ahead.
The coke helped… a bit. I still wasn’t right.
After dropping the dogs back at the apartment, we headed over to Ponte Milvio and into Sugo, which is quickly becoming one of my favourite places to eat in the area. Liosa initially avoided wine, but that resolve didn’t last long. I, meanwhile, very cautiously nursed a beer — and to my surprise, it actually helped.
We started with meatballs and arrosticini — traditional Abruzzese meat skewers, usually mutton, and outrageously good. The meatballs were on another level: genuinely to die for, and just €6 a portion. Anyone heading to the Olimpico for a match should eat here. No hesitation.
Pasta followed, and as always in Rome, we were wonderfully predictable. Carbonara for Liosa, Amatriciana for me. No regrets. And of course, Liosa ordered puntarelle — that beautifully Roman winter side dish made from the tender shoots of chicory, served raw with anchovy sauce. Bitter, sharp, and absolutely perfect.
While we were waiting for our food, Eva and Giulia came over to say hello, followed later by Eva’s husband Simone. Liosa already knew all about my “new friends,” so it was really nice for her to finally meet them. Eva immediately said, “Oh, I’ve heard loads about you!” — which anyone who knows me will understand completely. I talk about my wife constantly.
Later, my friend Matthew asked how meeting the “Lazio ladies” went. When I told him what Eva had said, he replied: “That’s much better than ‘Oh, I didn’t know you were married!’”
After lunch, Liosa and I grabbed a coffee before she headed back to the apartment and the dogs, while I made my way to meet Silvia.
Pre-match build-up
I was still feeling rough, so I skipped the beer and instead bought three Borghetti — one for Silvia and two very much for myself, purely medicinal, obviously.
I sat on a bench feeling a little sorry for myself until Silvia arrived with two friends — one of whom was also called Silvia. We wandered around the square at an easy pace before heading towards the stadium.
Silvia and I entered the Curva Nord, splitting at the turnstiles but agreeing to meet at half-time for a beer. Once inside, I decided to test the waters with another one — this time, thankfully, it went down much better.
I took my place high up in the Curva, just as the players came out to warm up.
Ciro Immobile returns
This wasn’t just another fixture. It was Ciro Immobile’s first return to the Olimpico since leaving Lazio — and that alone gave the afternoon an emotional edge.
Immobile’s legacy at Lazio is unquestionable. He didn’t just score goals — he defined an era. Across all competitions, he found the net 207 times, becoming the club’s all-time leading scorer. His peak came in the unforgettable 2019–20 season, when he scored 36 Serie A goals, equalled Higuaín’s record, and won the European Golden Shoe, finishing as the top league goalscorer across all of Europe.
More than the numbers, though, it was the moments: derby goals, late winners, nights where the stadium felt certain that if Lazio needed something, number 17 would provide it.
Although Ciro didn’t come on as a substitute, the reception was everything you’d expect — and more. He came over to the Curva Nord both before and after the match, greeted with chants, applause, and genuine affection. It wasn’t just respect. It was love.
Remembering Sinisa Mihajlović
The day also carried a deeper emotional weight with the remembrance of Sinisa Mihajlović, a figure forever woven into the histories of both Lazio and Bologna.
At the Olimpico, Lazio honoured a player who embodied the club’s late-1990s golden era — a warrior, a leader, and a free-kick specialist whose left foot and relentless mentality helped deliver a Scudetto. Bologna’s travelling support, meanwhile, paid tribute to the man who later became their symbol of courage and dignity, leading the club through difficult years while battling illness with extraordinary strength.
For both sets of fans, Mihajlović represents something bigger than footballing roles or colours. The applause, banners, and moments of silence created something rare — a shared act of remembrance, where rivalry dissolved and respect took centre stage. A man who gave everything to both clubs, and left something permanent behind at each.
The match
It felt like one of those nights that slowly slipped through our fingers. Just when the Olimpico had something to cling to, Gustav Isaksen found the net — a rare moment of release and belief, the kind that lifts shoulders and briefly quiets the doubts that have followed us all season.
But the lead barely had time to settle. Within minutes it was gone, another reminder of how fragile control has felt in recent weeks. The true turning point came soon after, with Mario Gila’s red card for dissent — a flash of frustration that left Lazio not only a man down, but emotionally shaken.
From that moment on, the match became less about imposing ourselves and more about enduring. To make matters worse, Isaksen was forced off injured at half-time, his goal already reduced to a footnote rather than the spark it should have been. Another name added to an already worrying injury list; another evening where effort alone wasn’t enough to protect momentum.
It was one of those December nights where you leave the stadium knowing the story wasn’t just the scoreline — but the accumulation of small, painful moments that continue to shape the journey.
Matchday Experience
| Category | Details |
| Fixture | Lazio vs Bologna |
| Date | 7 December |
| Competition | Serie A |
| Venue | Stadio Olimpico, Rome |
| Result | Lazio 1–1 Bologna |
| Lazio scorer | Gustav Isaksen |
| Attendance | 43,325 |
| Section | Curva Nord |
| Atmosphere | Emotional and tense — tributes to Sinisa Mihajlović, a warm welcome for Ciro Immobile, frustration after Gila’s red card |
| Key moment | Mario Gila sent off for dissent |
| Injury update | Isaksen forced off injured at half-time |
| Pre-match lunch | Sugo (Ponte Milvio) |
| Food highlights | Arrosticini, meatballs (€6), carbonara, amatriciana, puntarelle |
| Drinks | Borghetti pre-match; beer inside the stadium |
| Getting there | Car to Ponte Milvio, walk to the Olimpico |
| Curva moments | Warm-ups watched from high in the Nord; chants building in waves |
| Emotional notes | First return of Ciro Immobile to the Olimpico; united remembrance of Mihajlović |
| Overall feeling | Another Lazio night defined by fleeting hope, setbacks and reflection |
Journey home
On Monday morning, we checked out of the Airbnb, left the keys under the doormat as instructed, and hit the road — dogs in the back, weekend slowly settling into memory.
We stopped first for petrol, then pulled into the first bar we saw for a much-needed coffee. No rush, no itinerary anymore — just the quiet shift from matchday intensity back to everyday rhythm.
As always, I made a deliberate stop at Autogrill Badia al Pino on the A1, a place that has become part of my own matchday ritual. I took a moment to pay my respects to Gabriele Sandri, bringing with me pieces of recent memory: part of the choreography from the derby defeat earlier this season, and the gloves used in the choreography in Bergamo for the Atalanta match. Small objects, heavy with meaning.
Then it was back on the road, heading home after a genuinely enjoyable weekend — one shaped by football, friendship, remembrance, and the quiet moments in between that always seem to linger longest.
Conclusion
As we drove home the next morning, the weekend lingered in fragments rather than full scenes — moments rather than results. A goal that briefly lifted the Olimpico, a red card that changed everything, an injury that felt all too familiar. But also applause for Ciro, silence for Sinisa, laughter over lunch, and quiet rituals that matter just as much as ninety minutes of football.
Lazio vs Bologna wasn’t a night that will live forever in the table or the highlights reels, but it will stay with me for other reasons. It was a reminder that following Lazio is never linear — it’s an accumulation of emotions, people, places and memories, stacked one on top of another. From my 150th live match to a stop at Badia al Pino to remember Gabriele Sandri, this was another chapter in a journey that continues to shape how I experience the game.
And that’s the thing with these weekends. You don’t always leave with three points, or answers, or certainty. Sometimes you leave with something quieter — perspective, connection, and the simple knowledge that you’ll be back again, because the story is never really finished.
