Racist chants: Rome and Lazio are now at risk

The discriminatory chants chanted by some fans could cost Rome and Lazio dearly. Lotito’s club is at the greatest risk in this sense, due to the anti-Semitic chants repeated over time by the Biancocelesti supporters. To have ended up in the eye of the Federal Prosecutor’s Office is the now well-known “Go to the synagogue to pray, I will always let you escape, Romanist go ***” addressed to the Giallorossi rivals during the derby that took place before the break. In fact, the Sports Judge had reserved the right to decide by tomorrow, April 4, after having prepared a further study on the chorus sung by the Lazio public during the Stracittadina on March 19. Now, however, it is possible that the Sports Judge will ask, as previously done, for further investigation from the Federal Prosecutor before making a decision. According to the report drawn up by the federal inspectors present at the Olimpico and delivered to the Sports Judge, the chorus was sung three times in the pre-match and another three times (at 20′, 66′, 69′) during the match from entire Curva Nord (7,500 people).

Relapse

—

Now, however, Lazio’s position is aggravated by the behavior of some occupants of the away sector during yesterday’s match in Monza. Despite the ongoing investigation and the risk of seeing the hottest sector of Lazio fans closed again, there is still (more than) someone who continues to persevere in anti-Semitic demonstrations. This time, the federal inspectors’ report states that the offending choir was summoned from the portion of the stadium reserved for guests in two moments: in the 37th minute of the first half, around 20% of those present in the sector (2,197 people) sang it, while in the 42′ of the second half he sang about 10% of it and it was perceived by the two closest officials. In addition, the presence of the “Ultras Lazio” banner was signaled – usually present in the Curva Nord of the Olimpico during the matches of Sarri’s team – and two flags were waved, which are also a fixed presence in the Lazio curve. It should also be remembered that, during the current season, the Curva Nord had been the subject of an investigation – for the same choir – on the occasion of the first leg derby. The same sector was also closed for one shift, following the racist “boos” directed by Lazio fans at two Lecce players, during the match played at the Via del Mare stadium on 4 January.

Rome

—

Roma, on the other hand, could incur a heavy fine or, in the worst case, a one-match disqualification from the Curva Sud. The federal inspectors present yesterday at the Stadio Olimpico for Roma-Sampdoria, signaled the chorus of racial discrimination aimed at Dejan Stankovic at 8′ of the second half, immediately after the expulsion of Murillo and the subsequent protests of the Sampdoria coach (in the report it was written “Stankovic zingaro”, in reality it was sung “sei uno zingaro”). However, the inspectors also underlined how José Mourinho tried “in vain” to stop the chorus, with a gesture addressed to the Giallorossi curve. The chorus was attributed to the Curva Sud (6,302 present) without indicating the percentage of fans who sang it.