São Paulo
Spaniard Juan Bernabé, responsible for the eagle that is the mascot of the Italian football club Lazio, was fired last Monday (13). The cut was made after he shared images on social media of a penile implant surgical procedure.
At 56 years old, the animal’s owner asked the club president for forgiveness several times and stated that he did not understand the negative repercussions of his actions. According to Italian website Fanpage, he refused to accept his dismissal and remained at the sports complex until he fully recovered from surgery.
In a statement, Lazio announced the termination of the contract, highlighting the “seriousness of his behavior.” The club stated that it understands the fans’ sadness with the eagle’s absence from home games, but that they made the best decision for the team.
This is not the first controversy involving the professional. In 2021, the person responsible for the mascot was filmed giving a fascist salute at the end of a match, while shouting “Duce, Duce”, in reference to Benito Mussolini, former Italian fascist leader. At the time, he admitted his admiration for Mussolini in an interview with the program La Zanzara.
Lazio, one of Rome’s top clubs, is often associated with far-right fans. The team also has Romano Floriani Mussolini, great-grandson of Benito Mussolini, as a player in its youth team.
