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There was chaos in Turin as the much-anticipated Derby della Mole between Juventus and Torino on the final day of the Serie A season was delayed for more than an hour due to violent altercations between rival ultra groups. The match was temporarily put on hold after a supporter was taken to hospital, prompting serious public safety concerns.

Violence breaks out outside the stadium

The atmosphere turned hostile when fans from both clubs clashed outside the stadium, leading local authorities to step in and attempt to control the situation before the season-ending fixture could begin.

As reported by La Repubblica, the confrontations involved the throwing of fireworks, bottles, and stones when the two groups of ultras came face-to-face. The situation worsened when the Juventus team bus was struck by projectiles as it arrived at the venue, contributing to growing tension on what should have been a festive evening for Italian football.

Kick-off postponed over safety concerns

According to Sky Italia, a Juventus fan was seriously injured and required emergency surgery on his head after being “hit by a blunt object.” The extent of the violence caused significant uncertainty about whether the game could safely proceed under such volatile conditions.

While other teams competing for top-four positions across Italy began their matches as scheduled, players from Juventus and Torino remained in their dressing rooms awaiting further instructions.

Juventus supporters protest as match finally resumes

Eventually, officials decided to begin the game at a revised kick-off time of 9:51 pm local time. However, this decision drew backlash from Juventus’ ultra supporters, who insisted that the match should be called off entirely as a sign of respect for the injured fan and as a stand against the perceived security lapses that led to the violence, according to AFP.

When the announcement of the rescheduled start was made, many Juventus fans in the away section walked out in protest, leaving large portions of the stands empty when the match finally kicked off—nearly 70 minutes later than planned.

Champions League race impacted by delay

The postponement also had implications for the Champions League qualification race. Luciano Spalletti’s Juventus side were still in contention for a top-four finish, but Como secured the fourth and final Champions League spot before Juventus even began their match, having defeated Cremonese away. Meanwhile, AC Milan suffered a 2-1 loss to Cagliari. Owing to their superior head-to-head record against Juventus, Como’s position could not be overtaken regardless of the Bianconeri’s eventual result against Torino.