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Lazio have been hit with a one-match stand closure after supporters directed monkey chants at Romelu Lukaku throughout their staff’s midweek Italian Cup win over native rivals Roma, Serie A stated on Friday.
In an announcement, Serie A stated that the three sections of the Stadio Olimpico the place Lazio’s hardcore followers stand can be shut for the Roman membership’s league fixture with Napoli on January 28.
Lazio have been punished for “boorish, insulting and racially discriminatory monkey chanting” directed at Roma ahead Lukaku from the Curva Nord and two adjoining sections “each time he was in possession of the soccer”.
The assertion continued that the racist abuse was clearly heard by 4 Italian Soccer Federation observers on the match and that they got here from “90 % of the 16,000 followers in these areas of the bottom”.
Lazio have a number of the most right-wing supporters in a rustic the place fascist teams are a widespread phenomenon, together with at Roma whose hardcore followers even have a protracted historical past of far-right hyperlinks.
Wednesday’s incidents have been the most recent in a protracted line involving Lazio, who had been given a suspended one-match stand closure in April final yr following anti-Semitic and racist chants throughout one other derby with Roma.
Their supporters additionally introduced France worldwide Samuel Umtiti to tears final January throughout a match at Lecce.
It isn’t the primary time Lukaku has been focused by followers in Italy, as he was racially abuse by Juventus followers final season and monkey chanted at by Cagliari supporters in 2019, whereas nonetheless at Inter Milan.
The incident at Cagliari, which went unpunished by authorities, was then adopted by Inter’s hardcore followers writing an open letter to Lukaku wherein they stated monkey chants weren’t racist.
Lazio have been additionally fined 50,000 euros for supporters breaking by a safety cordon separating rivals followers within the stadium and launching “beer and water bottles, flares, fireworks and firecrackers” on the Roma part, whose followers price their membership a 15,000 euro positive for responding in form.
Residence supporters additionally threw flares and bottles on the pitch in the course of the match, one full beer hitting Roma midfielder Edoardo Bove on the neck after he was substituted within the second half.
The Rome derby is certainly one of Europe’s most heated and there have been a collection of scuffles and police costs earlier than Wednesday’s match, whereas afterwards Lazio followers raided a pub in style with Roma followers close to the stadium, stabbing two folks in the course of the melee.
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