10 Tourist Mistakes to Avoid in Rome

8. Don’t Diss Football

Soccer, as some of us call it, is not so popular across the pond, but it’s an obsessive passion in Italy. Rome has two home teams, Roma (representing the city) and Lazio (the region), and the rivalry between the two is explosive. If you have a chance to check out a game at the Stadio Olimpico while in town, it might just be the most culturally enlightening event of your Roman sojourn – not the game, the fanatical action in the stands. Just don’t strike up a conversation that criticizes the sport or disrespects the team. Football is like a religion here, and you won’t make any friends by engaging in that kind of banter.