Soccer

Lazio fire far-right eagle mascot handler over his social media penis posts

Eagle mascot will not be at upcoming games after Juan Bernabe revealed images of penile implant

Falconer Jose Maria Bernabe holds Lazio's eagle mascot prior to an Italian Serie A match at the Olympic stadium in Rome. Photograph: Vincenzo Pinto /AFP via Getty Images
Falconer Jose Maria Bernabe holds Lazio's eagle mascot prior to an Italian Serie A match at the Olympic stadium in Rome. Photograph: Vincenzo Pinto /AFP via Getty Images
Tue Jan 14 2025 - 10:12

Lazio fired the far-right sympathiser who handles their eagle mascot on Monday after he posted a series of videos and pictures of his erect penis online.

Falconer Juan Bernabe, who has been present at Lazio home matches with Olympia the eagle since the 2010-11 season, posted the footage on social media after having surgery on Saturday to implant a penile prosthesis to improve his sexual performance.

Lazio said that they had “terminated, with immediate effect” their relationship with Bernabe “due to the seriousness of his conduct”, adding that they were “shocked” by the images. The Serie A club added that Bernabe’s dismissal would mean that fans would be deprived of Olympia’s presence in Lazio’s coming home matches, their next being against Real Sociedad in the Europa League on 23 January.

“We, and the historic symbol of the eagle, can no longer be associated with a person who with his behaviour has made the continuation of any relationship impossible,” added Lazio. Bernabe defended the decision to publish the images by saying in an interview with radio station Radio24 that “nudity is normal, I grew up in an open-minded, naturist family”.

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The 56-year-old Spaniard has previously been in hot water over his openly hard-right politics, and was suspended by Lazio in 2021 for performing a fascist salute at the end of a match with Inter. He was filmed by fans at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico making the gesture and chanting “Duce, Duce” while holding Olympia and dressed in full Lazio kit.

Bernabe then told Italian newspaper Il Messaggero that he was “proud” to be a supporter of far-right Spanish political party Vox “like many footballer friends of mine”. He confirmed that he had performed the chants in favour of Benito Mussolini, who founded the National Fascist Party and ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943 before being killed near Lake Como by Italian partisans in 1945.

“I did it and I don’t regret it because I admire Mussolini, he did great things for Italy as Franco did for Spain,” he said in the same interview. “I admire both of them and I’m proud of it.”