ROME — After 15 years as Lazio’s president, Claudio Lotito has grown tired of his club having a negative image around the world.
Lotito has been escorted under police protection for years after cracking down on extreme “ultra” fans who sit behind Lazio’s goal in the “curva” at the Stadio Olimpico. “We reported the fans who made fascist salutes to the authorities,” Lotito added. “We’ve got to get out and start talking to make people realize that this kind of behaviour is unacceptable.”Lotito was also asked to address protests over the Super Cup being played in Saudi Arabia for the second straight season despite the assassination of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
Hatice Cengiz, Khashoggi’s fiancee, met with reporters at the Foreign Press Association a day before Lotito’s appearance.