Roma coach Rudi Garcia has slammed the Lega Serie A for scheduling his side's Coppa Italia clash with La Spezia at 14:30 CET on Wednesday afternoon -- a time when very few fans are expected to be able to visit the Stadio Olimpico.
Around 1,000 tickets have been sold to the Serie B club's fans, but little over twice that number are expected in all to take their seats in a deserted stadium.
Roma already struggle to fill the Stadio Olimpico with their hardcore ultra fans currently boycotting home games due to a dispute with local security forces, who installed barriers dividing up the Curva Sud this season.
"I don't understand why we have to play at 14:30, effectively denying many fans the chance to be there," Garcia said at a news conference. "Honestly, why? We already have enough problems with our fans as it is, and then they go and make things difficult for them. The Olimpico's going to be empty. It makes no sense.
"In France, the cup is a very emotional event, and I know because I've won it [with Lille]. I'd like to do the same with Roma."
The Giallorossi have regularly been getting fewer than 30,000 fans to their home matches this season.
Even the derby with rivals Lazio saw just over 35,000 in attendance, with both sets of fans protesting the new security measures, which were enforced without any consultation.
Their biggest crowd of the season was 65,000 for the Champions League clash with Barcelona, while just over 55,000 took in the win over Juventus in their first home game of the campaign, when the problems had not yet arisen.