By Mark Baber
February 5 – Racist chants by Lazio supporters, which led to the referee halting their Wednesday game against Napoli temporarily, have resulted in Lazio being fined €50,000 (£38,250) and being forced to close three sections of their Stadio Olimpico ground for their next two Serie A home games.
League leaders Napoli were 2-0 ahead when elements among the Lazio crowd aimed racist chants at Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly. Referee Massimiliano Irrati took the decision to stop the match for three minutes before the game restarted.
After the game, Senegal international Koulibaly and Napoli boss Maurizio Sarri both praised the referee’s decision, whilst Lazio manager Stefano Pioli exemplified the attitude of many in Italian football, who somehow fail to appreciate the racist nature of monkey chants aimed at black players, saying: “I would not have stopped the match. It was chanting from the minority, but I don’t think they were racist. We also have players of colour and they are treated well.”
Serie A’s disciplinary office told reporters that Lazio’s North End, Tevere North End and Monte Mario North End must be closed for two matches, with this sanction including a one-match sanction which had been suspended for a year after similar racist chants marred a home match against Genoa on 10 February 2015. Lazio’s attendances have seen a dramatic decline this season, with just over 21,000 on average, compared to 34,188 last season.
Lazio fan groups have long been infiltrated by extreme right wing groups and fines and stadium bans have proved ineffective. With the head of the Italian FA himself having been banned by UEFA for making racist remarks, rooting out racism from the terraces is going to require some fundamental changes in attitude or Italian football and attendances seem destined to continue their long-term decline.
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