Racist chants result in partial closer of stadium in Italian Cup soccer match
The team, Lazio, was punished for racist chants directed at a Black player
MILAN (AP) — Lazio has been punished with a partial stadium closure for racist chants during its Italian Cup victory against city rival Roma, while players from both teams were given bans on Friday.
Three players were sent off in Wednesday’s tense derby match.
Lazio will have four sectors of the Stadio Olimpico closed for its Serie A match against defending champion Napoli on Jan. 28 following racist chanting aimed at Roma forward Romelu Lukaku, who is Black, whenever he had the ball.
Lazio has also been handed a suspended 50,000 euro ($55,000) fine after some supporters threw flares and bottles onto the field and into the sector containing the Roma fans, who responded in kind. Roma was fined 15,000 ($16,500) euros.
Lazio beat Roma 1-0 and will face Juventus in the two-legged semifinals in April.
There were several scuffles toward the end of the match and Lazio forward Pedro was sent off in the sixth minute of stoppage time after receiving two yellow cards in two minutes. Roma forward Sardar Azmoun later was given a straight red card for essentially slapping Lazio midfielder Nicolò Rovella on the back of the head, while teammate Gianluca Mancini got sent off for dissent after the final whistle.
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Mancini, who also “seriously insulted” the referee after the match after waiting for him near the officials’ locker room, was banned for three matches and fined 10,000 euros ($11,000) and Azmoun was given a two-match ban. They will serve their suspensions in next season’s competition.
Pedro was banned for one game and will miss the first leg against Juventus.
The other semifinal match pits Fiorentina against Atalanta, who will be without coach Gian Piero Gasperini for both matches after he was sent off for dissent during Wednesday’s victory over AC Milan.
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