Sports

Lazio Slammed With One-match Stand Closure After Monkey Chants At Lukaku

Published

2 years ago

January 12, 2024

…Fined 50,000 euros over supporters breaking through security cordon

Lazio have been hit with a one-match stand closure after supporters directed monkey chants at Romelu Lukaku during their team’s midweek Italian Cup win over local rivals Roma, Serie A said on Friday.

In a statement, Serie A said that the three sections of the Stadio Olimpico where Lazio’s hardcore fans stand would be shut for the Roman club’s league fixture with Napoli on January 28.

Lazio have been punished for “boorish, insulting and racially discriminatory monkey chanting” directed at Roma forward Lukaku from the Curva Nord and two adjacent sections “whenever he was in possession of the football”.

The statement continued that the racist abuse was clearly heard by four Italian Football Federation observers at the match and that they came from “90 percent of the 16,000 fans in those areas of the ground”.

Lazio have some of the most right-wing supporters in a country where fascist groups are a widespread phenomenon, including at Roma whose hardcore fans also have a long history of far-right links.

Wednesday’s incidents were the latest in a long line involving Lazio, who had been given a suspended one-match stand closure in April last year following anti-Semitic and racist chants during another derby with Roma.

Their supporters also brought France international Samuel Umtiti to tears last January during a match at Lecce.

It’s not the first time Lukaku has been targeted by fans in Italy, as he was racially abuse by Juventus fans last season and monkey chanted at by Cagliari supporters in 2019, while still at Inter Milan.

The incident at Cagliari, which went unpunished by authorities, was then followed by Inter’s hardcore fans writing an open letter to Lukaku in which they said monkey chants weren’t racist.

Lazio were also fined 50,000 euros for supporters breaking through a security cordon separating rivals fans in the stadium and launching “beer and water bottles, flares, fireworks and firecrackers” at the Roma section, whose fans cost their club a 15,000 euro fine for responding in kind.

Home supporters also threw flares and bottles on the pitch during the match, one full beer hitting Roma midfielder Edoardo Bove on the neck after he was substituted in the second half.

The Rome derby is one of Europe’s most heated and there were a series of scuffles and police charges before Wednesday’s match, while afterwards Lazio fans raided a pub popular with Roma fans near the stadium, stabbing two people during the melee.

Sports

UCL, EPL: Petr Cech Advises Chelsea On How To Win Trophies

Published

1 day ago

May 4, 2026

Editor

Chelsea legend, Petr Cech, has advised his old club on how to win the UEFA Champions League or the English Premier League.

Chelsea are already out of the Premier League title race this season, and they are at risk of missing out on UEFA Champions League qualification for next season because they are currently not in the ninth position on the Premier League table.

Speaking to The Athletic about Chelsea, Cech said that the Blues need to change their philosophy of signing only young players if they want to win the Premier League or Champions League.

According to the former goalkeeper, the Premier League west London club needs to add experienced players to mentor the young players in the squad.

“You have to look at what you want to achieve. You can have young, talented players, and you can win, but it’s very rare that you manage to do that,” he said.

“If you want to win every season and compete every season, that does not go together.

“You have to change your philosophy. Certain things don’t go together because, in order to win a Champions League or a Premier League… these are really tough competitions, and you have to be consistent.

“You need to have a strong core of the team. And then you can bring young, talented players who will grow faster and then will be held by the experienced players to help navigate them through difficult times when they come.”

Currently, Chelsea have just one player, Tosin Adarabioyo, who is over 28 this season, and the defender has not been playing regularly.

Sports

Enabulele Lauds Okpebholo’s Bold Reforms As Edo Sports Witnesses Revival

Published

5 days ago

April 30, 2026

Editor

The Executive Chairman of the Edo State Sports Commission, Hon. Amadin Desmond Enabulele, has commended Governor Monday Okpebholo for what he described as a bold and transformative approach to sports development.

Speaking on efforts to reposition sports in the state, Enabulele noted that with Okpebholo’s visionary leadership, the sector has witnessed renewed growth.

In a statement issued by his Media Officer, Edoko Wilson Edoko, the Edo Sports Commission boss attributed the progress to the governor’s strategic policies and sustained commitment to youth development, which he said have laid the foundation for a more structured and results-driven system.

“His Excellency has demonstrated clear vision and genuine commitment to sports development. The level of support we are receiving has significantly repositioned Edo as a competitive force in national sporting events,” he said.

He explained that targeted investments in grassroots development are already producing results, with a growing number of young talents being identified and nurtured across multiple disciplines.

“We are deliberately building from the grassroots. A large percentage of our athletes today are homegrown, which speaks to the sustainability of our development model,” Enabulele added.

The Commission, he noted, is also shifting away from an over-reliance on football to a broader multi-sport focus.

Edo State, he said, is now recording improved performances in athletics, combat sports, and other emerging areas.

“Our goal is to strengthen all sports. The results are beginning to show across different disciplines, and this is only the start,” he said.

Enabulele further pointed to ongoing improvements in sports infrastructure and athlete welfare as critical factors in sustaining performance and encouraging wider participation among young people.

“We are building a system that will endure. With the continued support of the governor, Edo is on course to becoming a dominant force in sports at both national and international levels,” he stated.

He expressed confidence that the current momentum would translate into greater achievements for Edo athletes, reaffirming the Commission’s commitment to excellence, discipline, and long-term development.