Lazio to ban fans for life for anti-Semitic acts at Rome derby

Lazio will ban three fans from attending matches for life following anti-Semitic behaviour during the weekend’s Rome derby, including one who wore a Nazi message on his replica top, the Serie A club announced on Wednesday.

The club said in a statement that once it has received the trio’s personal details from police they would be “banned for life from the stadium”, and would be “seeking damages in any eventual criminal proceedings”.

One of the fans set to be banned was pictured during Sunday’s 1-0 win over crosstown rivals Roma wearing a replica top with the name “Hitlerson” and the number 88, a reference to the Nazi Germany slogan “Heil Hitler”, on the back.

Police in Rome who identified him say that he is a German who also invaded the Stadio Olimpico pitch during a derby match with Roma in April 2009.

He, and two Romanians who made Fascist salutes, have also been handed stadium banning orders by police, although their length was not specified when asked by AFP.

On Tuesday, Serie A said that the Italian Football Federation’s tribunal would rule by April 4 on “boorish and offensive chants… by every Lazio fan crammed into the Curva Nord (where the hardcore supporters stand) directed at rival fans”.

Italian media report that Lazio risk hosting Juventus on Easter weekend, with the Curva Nord closed for the second time this season.

In January, authorities ordered the closure of that section of the Stadio Olimpico for one match following racist chants at Lecce which left France international Samuel Umtiti in tears.

Lazio have some of the most right-wing supporters in a country where fascist fan groups are a widespread phenomenon.

Earlier this month, videos were circulated on social media showing a group of Lazio fans singing anti-Semitic chants about Roma supporters.

Around 100 supporters were filmed proudly calling themselves racist and insulting their Roma counterparts — who also have a long history of far-right fan groups — by saying their fathers were deported to Nazi concentration camps.

Last season, the handler of Lazio’s eagle mascot praised dictators Benito Mussolini and Francisco Franco after being suspended by the club for performing a fascist salute at the end of a match.