Lazio, an Italian soccer club, is facing a two-year Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) stadium ban due to supporters of the club being charged with "offenses of a racist nature" for the fourth time this season during a 2-0 victory over Borussia Monchengladbach, reported ESPNFC.com.
Lazio is also charged with the "throwing of missiles and or fireworks" and '"nsufficient organization," UEFA confirmed. Lazio was also charged with similar offenses in games against Tottenham and Maribor. The UEFA Control and Disciplinary Body will meet Wednesday to decide Lazio's fate, but there is a real chance that Lazio will host Stuttgart on March 14th in an empty stadium.
"I would urge the media not to label the protagonists of all these incidents as 'Lazio fans,'" Claudio Lotito told Sky Sport Italia. "Rome is a metropolis and as such is inhabited also by bad people. Three Monchengladbach fans were stabbed during altercations with Lazio supporters but none were seriously hurt, according to the ESPNFC report. Monchengladbach is not being held faultless in these incidents either-they are facing UEFA charges as well after their fans lit fireworks inside the stadium.
Lotito condemned the events that took place but pleaded his case that the club should not be blamed for the actions of rouge patrons. In the same interview with Sky Sport Italia, Lotito said "There is no suggestion so far that those behind these incidents were part of Lazio's organized fan groups." Lotito is further quoted by telegraph.co.uk saying, "Nobody is trying to justify this behavior, but I say this because I am in constant contact with the police and want to understand if these people really are linked with Lazio. In my view they should do a quick trial and send them to prison for some time, so they don't have the chance to do it again."
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