Lazio president Claudio Lotito denied the report that the supporters chanted racist abuse at Roma‘s Romelu Lukaku in the recent Coppa Italia derby.
The Biancocelesti were fined €50,000 and handed a partial stadium closure after the sporting judge’s report, which noted that Lukaku was racially abused by a large section of the crowd during the recent Coppa Italia quarter-final Derby della Capitale, which ended 1-0 in Lazio’s favour.
Lazio fans were also punished for their throwing of missiles including bottles and smoke bombs, with a beer bottle hitting Roma midfielder Edoardo Bove when he was being taken off the pitch. There were also reports of fan clashes outside the Stadio Olimpico.
Speaking to the press at an event in Rome via TMW, Lotito was asked about the sporting judge’s decision to punish Lazio for the fans’ behaviour in the recent derby victory.
“I don’t want to start controversy. I’ll reflect on it, in the report it says 90% of 16,000, wrongly, because there were over 19,000 present. Did you hear 17,000 people abusing Lukaku?
“If that were the case, I ask myself a question: the Gos observer, why didn’t he make an appeal during the match? And the referee Orsato, precisely, why didn’t he say anything?
“I don’t want to go into the merits, but in life there are facts, you have to know how to lose. We try to also educate our people about the culture of defeat. When the management of certain situations is contaminated by fan positions it becomes a problem.”
He confirmed that Lazio would appeal against the punishment, which includes the closure of four sections of the Stadio Olimpico for the coming clash with Napoli.
“We will appeal, and we will also take action in other places. Everything can be said about Lazio, but not that the team are racist or anti-Semitic or whatever they accuse us of.
“It is unthinkable for the undersigned, who as group leader is part of the Segre Commission, then there is Professor Gambino on the Board of Directors, as well as the president Mario Venezia of the Shoa Foundation within the Board of Directors.
“I didn’t hear those chants, I’ll be honest. But I’m not saying it because of a partisan problem, I’m saying it because no one heard them.”
Pathetic club. Racist supporters. Ignorant owner. They’re the worst disgrace to Italian football.
Penalty for Inter paid for in yen
Forza Lazio!