February 27 – Lazio are awaiting their fate after being charged by UEFA yet again over racist behaviour by their fans – this time following the recent Europa League win over Borussia Moenchengladbach.
The Italian club, which faces the prospect of playing a game behind closed doors, has also been charged with “throwing of missiles and or fireworks” and “insufficient organisation”.
Lazio fans were found guilty of similar racist offences in the ties against Tottenham Hotspur and Maribor in the group stages of the competition. Following the Maribor game in Slovenia, UEFA suspended a sanction of playing a Europa League tie behind closed doors for a probationary period of two years.
That could now be imposed with the Stadio Olimpico empty when Lazio host Stuttgart on March 14 in the second leg of their last-16 tie.
Moenchengladbach also face a charge after their fans lit fireworks in the stadium as Lazio won 2-0 to advance 5-3 on aggregate. The build-up to the match was overshadowed by 8,000 German fans descending on Rome and three being stabbed.
Lazio president Claudio Lotito did his best to defend the reputation of his club by declaring: “I would urge the media not to label the protagonists of all these incidents as ‘Lazio fans’. Rome is a metropolis and as such is inhabited also by bad people. For example, there is no suggestion so far that those behind these incidents were part of Lazio’s organised fan groups.”