Rome – Lazio’s hard-core fans aimed an antisemitic chant at Tottenham Hotspur supporters and displayed a pro-Palestinian banner during a Europa League match between the Roman and London clubs at Rome’s Olympic Stadium Thursday. The incident came after anti-Semitism was cited as one of the possible motives behind a brutal attack on a group of Tottenham Hotspur fans in a Rome pub Wednesday night that left one supporter in a serious condition. About 10 minutes into the match, before which former Spurs and Lazio star Paul Gascoigne greeted cheering supporters of both clubs, a section of ‘ultra’ fans started chanting “Juden Tottenham, Juden Tottenham”.
A few minutes later, a banner appeared in the same section of the ground saying “Free Palestine”. Tottenham, or Spurs, are traditionally considered to have a strong Jewish element in their fan base and followers continue to be proud of this, although there seems to be little evidence that today they have a higher ratio of Jewish fans than other clubs. Wednesday night’s attack occurred at the Drunken Ship pub in the central Campo de’ Fiori square, one of the focal points of Rome’s night life
