Former Italian PM blasts Rome’s Lazio fans over anti-Semitic Anne Frank stickers

ROME, Italy — Fans of the Lazio soccer team have a long history of racism and anti-Semitism. A Lazio banner in the intra-city derby nearly 20 years ago aimed at Roma supporters read: “Auschwitz Is Your Homeland; The Ovens Are Your Homes.” Another message honored the slain Serbian paramilitary leader, Arkan.

But the Roman club’s supporters established another low over the weekend. They littered the Stadio Olimpico with superimposed images of Anne Frank — the young diarist who died in the Holocaust — wearing a jersey of city rival Roma.

“The anti-Semitic squalor that prompted some Lazio fans to make fun of even Anne Frank’s memory is a shameful gesture,” says ex-Italian premier Matteo Renzi. “Obviously we’re talking about a small minority but not shedding light on this news would be a mistake. Because when things like this happen it’s important that children know and learn how to deal with a complete lack of dignity,” Renzi adds.

— AP