Serie A on Friday announced a one-match stand closure for the sections where the Lazio’s hardcore fans typically stand.
This was in response to racist incidents during Lazio’s Italian Cup victory over Roma.
The league declared the punishment after “boorish, insulting, and racially discriminatory monkey chants” were directed at Roma’s Romelu Lukaku. The Italian Football Federation observers confirmed that the abuse was heard by 90 percent of the 16,000 fans in those areas. This marks another chapter in Lazio’s history of disciplinary actions related to racist behavior.
“It’s not the first time Lukaku has been targeted by fans in Italy,” as he previously faced racial abuse from Juventus fans and Cagliari supporters in 2019.
Despite these incidents, this marks the latest in a series of sanctions for Lazio, who had faced a one-match stand closure in April the previous year due to anti-Semitic and racist chants during a derby against Roma.
The league’s response comes as part of a broader issue in Italian football, with Lazio having right-wing affiliations and incidents of fan violence.
The Rome derby, known for its intense atmosphere, saw not only racist behavior but also clashes before the match and post-game violence.
Lazio fans attacked a pub popular among Roma supporters, resulting in two stabbings.
