The Lazio” data-scaytid=”2″>Lazio ultras have released a statement insisting their jeers are “not racially offensive,” but will stop “to silence hypocrites.”
The Lazio ultras have released a statement insisting their jeers are “not racially offensive,” but will stop “to silence hypocrites.”
The Biancocelesti were ordered to close the Curva Nord for one home game as punishment after racist monkey noises were heard aimed at black Juventus” data-scaytid=”7″>Juventus players during the Italian Super Cup on Sunday.
The club has lodged an emergency appeal against the ban, which will be heard on Friday.
This is not the first time Lazio ultras have been involved in racist chanting and they took the unusual step of releasing a Press statement.
“Accusing our Curva of racism, a Curva that never kicked black kids out of our sector and always accepted the progressive increase of diverse ethnicities in our team, making them idols like Liverani, Dabo, Onazi, Ciani, Cisse etc is truly ridiculous as well as insulting!
“Our attempts to make people understand over the years that the famous ‘buuu’ noises are not racially offensive, but simply a mocking gesture to irritate whoever our opponent happens to be, have proved to be in vain.
“Your interests have meant all our explanation and clarification has been pointless. We therefore ask our population of ultras to avoid the monkey noises.
“We are more mature and we will prove it, just as we always have done, with our superiority even in this instance disarming the hypocrites who push against us.”