Soccer: Lazio drawn against Fenerbahce in Europa League
Rome side to play home leg behind closed doors
15 March, 13:31
(ANSA) - Rome, March 15 - Lazio were drawn against Istanbul
side Fenerbahce in the Europa League quarter-finals on Friday.The Rome side will have to play the home leg behind closed doors after being handed a two-match stadium ban from European soccer's governing body UEFA for racism by some fans.
The ban was imposed along with a 40,000-euro fine following a February match against Germany's Borussia Moenchengladbach when a group of Lazio fans gave a Fascist straight-armed salute.
The ban was the latest in a series of sanctions from UEFA for racist gestures by fans at previous games this season.
These included fans chanting 'Juden Tottenham' during a group-stage match in November. Fans of London side Tottenham take pride in having a Jewish identify even though their followers come from a variety of religious and ethnic backgrounds.
The incident took place a day after a group of Tottenham fans were brutally set upon by masked thugs in a central Rome pub, an attack that was linked to anti-Semitism.
Lazio served the first part of the stadium ban on Thursday, when they beat VfB Stuttgart 3-1 at an empty Stadio Olimpico to complete a 5-1 aggregate win in the last 16. The Romans are the only Italian side left in the competition. Inter Milan beat Tottenham 4-1 on Thursday but went out on away goals after losing the first leg 3-0.
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