The great grandson of former Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini is a member of Lazio’s U-19 team, it came to light this week. Romano Benito Floriani Mussolini is an 18-year-old right back for I Biancocelesti.
Benito Mussolini, Il Duce, ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943, and there’s something troubling about his kin playing for a club with a history of neo-Fascist fans.
To be fair to Romano Floriani, there are no reports as to his political beliefs and every young person should be given the chance to find themselves, be it on the soccer field or elsewhere. We don’t assume Barron Trump, himself a soccer player, is going to be the same as his disgraced father and neither should we assume Floriani will be like his great grandfather, who was executed by firing squad, his corpse hung upside down to be defiled and degraded.
So far, Floriani, who started his youth career at Roma, has made two appearances for the Lazio youth side.
“He is a humble boy who has never complained, not even when he didn’t play for two years,” Lazio youth coach Mauro Bianchessi told La Repubblica. “I like him. He’s not a seasoned player yet, but he looks promising.
“I have never spoken to his parents, and the only thing that matters is whether a player deserves to play. Nothing else.”
Mussolini will play for Lazio?!?
Lazio have signed Romano Floriani Mussolini, the great-grandson of Italy's former fascist leader Benito Mussolini. pic.twitter.com/cNgO22mkIP— Photos of Football (@photosofootball) February 3, 2021
That said, there are some disconcerting trends at Lazio.
Lazio ultras have long been linked with neo-Fascism. Despite some in America claiming that anti-fascism is bad, I think all decent people agree fascism is worrisome.
From shocking racism, anti-Semitism and homophobia to blatant misogyny, it’s impossible to separate Lazio from its deplorable fan base. Lazio ultras have used Anne Frank’s image to mock Roma fans, they hang banners praising Benito Mussolini and give fascist salutes.
Floriani’s mother, Alessandra Mussolini, is the granddaughter of Benito Mussolini. She is a former right-wing member of parliament and recently spoke about her son’s football.
“It does not concern me,” she told Il Messaggero. “It’s his life and on his things and he doesn’t want any interference.”
One hopes Lazio has Floriani on the books solely for his footballing abilities and not for his familial ties to excite neo-Fascist fans.
In other Lazio news, the women’s club (currently in Serie B) hired Carolina Morace and her wife Nicola Williams to coach the team on Tuesday. Morace will be the head coach while Williams will be the assistant coach.
Oggi allo Stadio Olimpico è stata presentata Carolina #Morace, la nuova allenatrice della Lazio Women!
Le parole del Presidente Lotito ➡️ https://t.co/JlL1ktPtzA
Le prime dichiarazioni di Carolina Morace ➡️ https://t.co/7doLrvFeCl pic.twitter.com/507mMkZO2W— S.S.Lazio (@OfficialSSLazio) February 2, 2021
Morace became the first woman to coach a men’s team in Italy when she took charge of Serie C1 club Viterbese in 1999. The married couple previously worked together at AC Milan and Trinidad and Tobago.
