Lotito fumes as Lazio fans call for Juve defeat
Lazio president Claudio Lotito has blasted the club's fans for urging the team to lose against Juventus on Saturday.
Defeat to Juve would deny fierce rivals Roma the chance to close the gap on the Turin outfit at the top of Serie A, prompting Lazio fans to make the case for intentional defeat on local radio stations.
But Lotito claims the severity of the rivalry is having a negative impact on the matchday experience at the Stadio Olimpico, and threatened to punish those who called for the loss.
"What the fans do will not remain unpunished," he told Tuttosport. "People must understand that football is to be enjoyed, not treated with hatred, bitterness or violence.
"You must go to the stadium to enjoy a wonderful day and at the end the winners and losers emerge in a positive atmosphere, regardless of the result. That’s what happens in English stadiums.
"Juventus also have a section of their fans who create problems.
"I have always said we need football to teach and set the moral tone. Once anything was allowed, now there is zero tolerance.
"It’s still not enough, as we must all understand that in football there are opponents, not enemies."
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