High-flying Lazio’s thrashing of Sassuolo marked by Mussolini’s first Serie A goal | Nicky Bandini
Lazio beat Sassuolo 6-2 in a high-scoring Serie A match, with 10,000 Lazio supporters travelling to Reggio Emilia despite a weeknight kick-off almost five hours from Rome. Their turnout highlighted a striking split: the team is enjoying its best start to a season, while many fans continue to boycott home games in protest against owner Claudio Lotito.
Lazio have won eight of their first nine matches and briefly sat top of the table, but home attendances have fallen from the mid-40,000s earlier this decade to barely above 10,000 this season. The supporters’ dispute with Lotito has not stopped them following the team away, where they have made their backing clear. The match also featured Romano Floriani Mussolini scoring his first Serie A goal; the supplied article text cuts off during its account of the game.
In short
- Lazio won 6-2 at Sassuolo.
- 10,000 Lazio fans travelled despite the boycott of home games.
- Romano Floriani Mussolini scored his first Serie A goal.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The travelling support shows that many Lazio fans remain deeply committed to the team while using the home boycott to express dissatisfaction with owner Claudio Lotito. With attendances having fallen sharply, withholding support at home can be seen as a visible, peaceful way to press for change without abandoning the players.
The case against
A boycott may make a legitimate protest, but it can also deprive the team of home support during an exceptional run and risk weakening the club’s atmosphere and finances. Fans who choose to attend can reasonably argue that backing the players need not amount to endorsing the owner, and that protest can continue through other means.
Explained simply
Lazio and Sassuolo are football clubs in Italy’s top division, Serie A. Lazio are based in Rome, while Sassuolo are from the Emilia-Romagna region; their match brought together a team enjoying strong early results and supporters protesting against its ownership.
Lazio’s owner, Claudio Lotito, has been at the centre of a dispute with many fans, who have boycotted home matches. The protest has coincided with a sharp fall in home crowds, even as supporters have continued to travel to away games.
The match also drew attention because Romano Floriani Mussolini scored his first Serie A goal for Lazio. He is the great-grandson of Italy’s former dictator Benito Mussolini, a family connection that has made his appearances a subject of public interest.
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