World Deaf Day: Roma's deaf group offers a sign language tour of the Stadio Olimpico

A tour of the Stadio Olimpico is one of the most sought-after experiences for Roma fans. In order to celebrate World Deaf Day on 28 September and to promote inclusion and accessibility to the stadium, AS Roma offered an opportunity to a special group of deaf fans, who are always present in the stands in the Distinti Nord-Ovest section.

For our match against Verona, the Roma Deaf Group, who work with the club providing simultaneous translation of pre-match press conferences as well as the ‘Roma Roma’ anthem into sign language, had the opportunity to enjoy an exclusive tour of the Stadio Olimpico before kickoff.

It was a unique journey into the past and present of the Giallorossi, in which the directors of the AS Roma historical archive, with the support of two Italian Sign Language interpreters, revealed the secrets of the stadium where Roma won two of its three Scudetti and recounted the most interesting anecdotes from the club's history.

Among the most striking stories was the origin of the famous ‘Viva la Roma Campione d'Italia’ banner. It dates back to the first Italian championship in the 1941/42 season, and was created by two deaf-mute fans - brothers Francesco and Gioacchino Lalli. An authentic testimony of this gesture of love, passed down the generations to this day and immortalised in a historic photograph, was shared by Ornella, daughter of Francesco Lalli and a passionate Roma fan.

Ornella Lalli

The initiative, which is part of the club's ‘Overcoming the Obstacles’ programme for people with disabilities, was organised to ensure that accessibility needs are increasingly integrated into the stadium experience, in accordance with the ‘Equality and Inclusion’ Policy of UEFA's ‘Strength Through Unity’ sustainability strategy.

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