April 8 – Roma have been ordered to close part of their stadium at their next home game after fans displayed banners mocking the mother of a Napoli fan who died following clashes between rival supporters last year.
The banners, accusing the murdered victim’s mother of profiteering from his death, caused an outcry after they were displayed by fans on the Curva Sud (south curve) of the Stadio Olimpico during the Serie A fixture against Napoli last Saturday.
Serie A’s disciplinary tribunal said the banners were “by their content provocatively insulting to the mother of a supporter of the opposing team, who died in dramatic circumstances”.
The tribunal added that Roma fans were also guilty of discriminatory chanting “against people from a particular territorial origin” and ordered the Curva Sud to be shut for Roma’s next home game.
The banners were aimed at Antonella Leardi, mother of the Napoli fan Ciro Esposito who died more than one month after being shot before the Italian cup final in Rome last May.
Although Napoli’s opponents in that game were Fiorentina, the incident happened during clashes with Roma fans. Esposito was shot by a drunken Roma Ultra as he headed to Stadio Olimpico.
Proceeds of a book written by his mother were donated to the hospital which treated her son.
Roma president James Pallotta told the club’s website he was “incredibly frustrated and disappointed” by the episode. “We just don’t really have the power in the stadium to stop all of this,” he said.
“We had stewards inside the stadium with no real authority. We did take away some of the banners – whatever banners that we did see outside before the game, our stewards did – but at the end of the day, the security inside have to choose to take action and we don’t control that security inside.
“I’m sure that the vast majority of Roma supporters are sick and tired of these fools, and it’s up to all of us together – not just in Rome but in Italy – to put an end to their antics.”
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