Reggiana supporters are preparing to boycott Saturday’s Serie B derby against Sassuolo.

The sides have shared a home since the 2013-14 season and this weekend Reggiana are the ‘away’ team at the ground they used to own.

In 2013 they effectively became tenants when the company who own Sassuolo bought the stadium.

This weekend, Granata fans who normally watch their games from the Curva Sud were told they could only purchase tickets for the away end.

They urged the league leaders to reconsider but the request, which was backed by Reggio Emilia’s mayor, Marco Massari, and members of the municipal council, was rejected.

“The decision left me speechless, I can understand the anger rising up in the Reggiana supporters,” Max Melloni told Destination Calcio.

Max is a member of the THC group, affiliated with Teste Quadre, and has followed his team since the early 1980s.

He said: “We have been relegated to the away stand and our decision is to not buy their dirty tickets. We will try to go to the ground and stay out supporting Reggiana from outside. Police threatened us with banning orders. But we want to be free to walk there. They (Sassuolo) bought the ground, not the entire city. It’s war and they declared it.”

Late on Thursday night it was reported that some Sassuolo supporters would also be staying outside the ground.

According to sassuolonews.net, the Sic Ex Murice Gemmae group will be boycotting the game. Their statement read: “On the occasion of the Sassuolo – Reggiana match on Saturday 29 March, the Sic Ex Mvrice Gemma group, in line with the actions undertaken in recent years and reiterating its position of not recognising Reggio Emilia as its home, will not be present in the stands. The group will demonstrate its dissent for the reckless management of the match under the Tribuna Sud sector. THIS STADIUM DOES NOT BELONG TO US!”

Sassuolo the town is 25km from Reggio Emilia. When the club first left their former home there – the Stadio Ricci – they played Serie B seasons in Modena before the move to Reggio Emilia after promotion in 2013.

Reggiana moved to their current home – at first called the Stadio Giglio – in 1995 after leaving the Mirabello, and they marked the opening with a game against Juventus. 

The stadium was part-funded by fans but the club lost ownership following bankruptcy in 2005.

It was renamed the Citta del Tricolore in 2012 in honour of Reggio Emilia being the birthplace of the Italian flag in 1797.

In 2013 Mapei, who already owned Sassuolo, bought the ground at auction and rebranded it the Mapei Stadium. It is a name the Reggiana fans refuse to use, preferring to stick with Citta del Tricolore.

Saturday’s encounter has been categorised as risk level four (the highest) and prefect Maria Rita Cocciufa told gazzettadireggio.it: “From a legal point of view, the situation is clear –  Sassuolo is the home team and Reggiana is the visiting team. Taking note of this situation, the only intervention we can make concerns the situation of public order and safety that could arise as a consequence. Other types of intervention are not possible, also because they would trigger rather dangerous mechanisms on a general level.”

Sassuolo won the reverse fixture 2-0 at the end of the November when Kristian Thorstvedt and Samuele Mulattieri were on target.

The Neroverdi remain on track for a quick return to Serie A. Fabio Grosso’s side lead the way at the top of the league, nine points clear of closest challengers Pisa with eight games remaining. The Granata sit in 15th place in a congested race to beat the drop with just five points separating second-bottom Salernitana and Modena up in 10th.