Lazio Ultras' Handout Call For Women To Be Banned From Stands

A Lazio spokesman was quoted saying the club had no knowledge of the group's initiative.

(Photo by Marco Rosi/Getty Images)

Members of the Lazio ultras, a superfan group of the Serie A club, handed out fliers saying women should be banned from particular parts of Stadio Olimpico prior to Saturday's contest against Napoli, according to a report by BBC News.

The handouts said that "women, wives and girlfriends" should not sit in the first 10 rows of the stands because it's a "sacred place" where women are not permitted. The flier was endorsed at the bottom by "Direttivo Diabolik Pluto," a leader of the ultra group Irreducibili.

Lazio spokesman Arturo Diaconale was quoted by Italian media saying the club had no knowledge of the flier and added that "it was an independent initiative by some of the Curva Nord fans" and not the position of the club or representative of society.

"There is a huge number of Lazio fans, whereas this is an initiative from a few fans," Diaconale said. "We cannot always intervene to prevent politically incorrect demonstrations like this one."

Lazio's fans have a recent history of unsavory actions. In 2013, the club was fined and received a two-match home supporter ban from UEFA for racist displays from fans. Last year, Serie A responded to displays of anti-Semitism from Lazio supporters by having Anne Frank's diary read aloud ahead of matches across the league.