Juan Bernabe was fired by the club earlier in the week
Juan Bernabe, Lazio’s eagle mascot handler who was fired on Monday a few hours after he posted graphic photos of his genitalia, has now barricaded himself at the club’s training ground, according to la Repubblica.
Bernabe, despite the club letting him go, didn’t leave Lazio’s training ground where he lived over the past 15 years, recovering from surgery. He is waiting to speak with club president Claudio Lotito while the same Lazio owner has since said there is no way he’s going to pardon him.
Back in 2021, Lazio suspended Bernabe because he was filmed cheering in support of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. Bernabe also defended himself in that instance, saying Mussolini did “great things” for Italy.
Bernabe is the falconer of Lazio during the home games that take place at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, and he’s the one in charge of the eagle mascot Olympia before home matches and occasionally also after some exciting wins, such as the ones against AS Roma. On Monday, Bernabe underwent surgery and a few hours later he posted graphic images and videos of his penis implant on social media. On the same day, Lazio fired him.
The club announced the decision to sack him in an official statement.
“Shocked to see the photographic images and video of Mr. Juan Bernabe and to read the statements that accompanied them, Lazio announces that it has stopped, with immediate effect, all relationship with this person, given the seriousness of his behavior,” the statement read.
Lotito spoke to the media and also announced he decided to sack Gabriele Antonini, the doctor who operated Bernabe, but later the same doctor explained to Italian radio show La Zanzara he “was not fired” because he’s not under contract with the club but occasionally worked and has a consultancy role for the Serie A team.
Lotito also spoke to the media about the matter and said, “I am someone who goes to church every Sunday, I have not missed it in 67 years, I have an irreproachable behavior from all points of view, I fight battles for change and moralization and you behave in that way?”
