The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) is investigating antisemitic chants made by Lazio fans before their team won its match against Napoli, La Gazzetta dello Sport reported.
The probe was opened after videos of the antisemitic chants were posted online. The fans of Rome-based Lazio were filmed performing the chants before entering Maradona Stadium in Naples.
The federal prosecutor has also opened an investigation, according to the report.
In the videos, which were widely distributed on social media, a group of Lazio fans can clearly be heard chanting antisemitic taunts at the opposing team.
The investigation will include a separate request to investigate racist chants made against Napoli striker Victor Osimhen that took place during the match.
Approximately 100 fans allegedly participated in the hateful chanting, The Laziali news site reported.
The chants included the fans referring to themselves as “brownshirts,” offensive references to kippahs and Anne Frank, and an insult involving the mention of unleavened bread, a lamb and Hanukkah, according to Italy24.
Lazio have attempted in recent years to crack down on offensive chants and discrimination in soccer.
The incident was only the latest involving Lazio’s right-wing supporters, who are known as some of the most extreme fans in Italy among far-right soccer fan groups, according to The Score.
In January, the section of Rome’s Olympic Stadium where Lazio’s fans sit was closed by officials for one match after supporters taunted Lecce players with racist chants.
During the 2021 season, Lazio’s eagle mascot handler was suspended by the team for making a fascist salute at the end of a game.
The fans respond with fascist salutes in return and a chant of “Duce, Duce, Duce,” referring to Italy’s wartime fascist dictator Benito Mussolini’s nickname.
The bird handler, who the team said was an employee of an outside company, later issued praise for Mussolini and Spanish dictator Francisco Franco.
In April 2019, Lazio refused to denounce racist chanting during the team’s win against Milan, with the team releasing a statement distancing themselves from the fans in question, but not condemning the chanting. During that match, fans also made fascist salutes and hung a pro-Mussolini banner.