In England, football fans often grumble about the owners of their club and the way it’s being run, many of us have witnessed or been involved in sit-in protests, but that is nothing compared to how Lazio’s Ultras feel about club President Claudio Lotito.
Ultras Laziali of the Curva Nord released the following statement:
“Lotito has been, is and always will be the enemy of the ultras, being the only President to have his own fans arrested simply for protesting against him!“We will always hate him even if only for that, quite apart from his work or the results of the team. We do not want this to be used as an alibi for the performances on the field.“We have decided to support the team despite our ill feeling towards the President. We will always be close to Lazio regardless of the situation. We’re not changing our minds, nor will we be softened by a good transfer campaign, but won’t give the players an alibi to hide behind.Before finishing with: “To those who accuse us of not representing the real Lazio supporters, don’t forget we have been here for decades and our sacrifices have made the history of this club.”
The Italian entrepreneur took ownership of the Roman club back in 2004, and despite saving the society from bankruptcy he has never really been accepted, during his ownership the fans have constantly protested against Lotito and asked for new owners.
When he took over, he made a very shrewd move by bringing Paolo di Canio back to the club, a player the fans had wanted to see return for years. Unfortunately, the two men ended up falling out, many Laziali put this down to Paolo’s popularity and the fact the fans treated him like a God whereas Lotito, the man who had saved the club received no gratitude – the row ended up with di Canio leaving the club.
Lazio enjoyed success in 2009, when they won the Coppa Italia after beating Sampdoria on penalties. Despite the team managing to finish fifth last season and being very progressive in the transfer market during the summer, where they have brought in big names such as Djibril Cisse and Miroslav Klose, it does not look like the Ultras are going to change their stance on how they feel about the club‘s President.
By Scott Balaam
Twitter @scottbalaam & @footiefun