The Lotito issue. Is the Lazio chairman costing the party votes? Rocca (FdI): “It’s a real issue. It looks like an amateur club”

“Lotito, go away”. The fans are protesting and refusing to buy season tickets: it’s an ongoing campaign that’s been going on for months. So much so that those on the right have started to worry. As well as the stands, will the ballot boxes be empty too? “The issue is real; the organised supporters’ groups have made it clear. That’s the risk you run when you hold a dual role,” Governor Francesco Rocca, himself a Lazio fan, tells Il Foglio. He is referring to Lotito, president of Lazio and a senator for Forza Italia. “As a Lazio supporter, I feel hurt and offended. Today, the club seems to be run in an amateurish manner. I view this situation with great concern – the vast gulf between the club and the supporters, who deserve a corporate structure worthy of the club’s history.” 

Francesco Storace, a journalist and Roma fan, but also a long-standing figure on the Italian right, helped save the Eagles whilst serving as president of the Lazio region. And he warns the majority: “If, on top of the trouble Lotito is causing, they want a wealth tax, they can do whatever they like”. The tax he is referring to would be that proposed by the broad coalition in government, in an election that could be decided by just a few votes. In short, it is better not to leave anything to chance. “Whether you rise or fall in politics, it still means maintaining close and solid ties with the communities,” explains Rocca. “It’s obvious, then, that what’s happening – even if you look at it from a politician’s perspective – is a contradiction in terms, because Lotito should be the first to send out warning signals.” And besides, this is still the country where half of Parliament revolted at the prospect of Pirlo taking charge of the national team; imagine if the fans were to be any less vocal. Lazio supporters have been up in arms for months and, as long as Lotito remains in charge, they certainly won’t lay down their arms. They’ve organised petitions with over 45,000 signatures and highly attended general assemblies of Lazio supporters. To give you an idea, even Fabrizio Alfano, Giorgia Meloni’s head of press office, has spoken out in X to support the cause. In early July, thousands gathered at Ponte Milvio for a demonstration against Lotito. Among them was Governor Rocca: “Lazio’s supporters are a historic part of our region’s football culture, and they deserve to be listened to and to have a clearer relationship with the club,” the governor told Il Foglio. This is also where “his great concern” lies. In short, there are purely football-related issues – involving loyalty and passion – which compound the political ones. Has the time come for Lotito to sell Lazio? “Whether it’s Lotito who does it, or someone else should he decide to step down, I hope that Lazio is given a corporate structure worthy of the club’s history and of a publicly listed company,” replies – and hopes – Rocca. Because today, the governor continues, “Lazio seems to me to be treated more like an amateur club than one of Italy’s most important football teams. That is what is so disappointing.” The situation also risks becoming an electoral issue within the centre-right, particularly for various politicians in the Roman political sphere – Lazio supporters and others alike – who prefer not to take a public stance but share much of the view expressed by Rocca. “It’s an issue that exists,” repeats the regional president. And we had a taste of it during the referendum when Lazio supporters called for a ‘no’ vote to protest against the Forza Italia senator: “Thank Lotito”.

A few days ago, the Roman newspaper Il Tempo also raised this issue in an editorial by its editor-in-chief, Daniele Capezzone, entitled: “Losing the election because of Lotito’s line would not be a good deal”. In the last general election, the president of Lazio was elected in Molise; now there is talk of him standing as a candidate in Calabria – the Lazio president has also recently bought Reggina. Lotito is certainly no novice – quite the opposite, in fact. Indeed, many are betting that he will be in the running again in the next parliamentary term. But certain remarks he makes, and certain ways he behaves – not just those linked to footballing ups and downs – do not sit well even with his various Forza Italia colleagues, who certainly do not want to risk losing votes for Lazio. This is a headache for Tajani, who will be responsible for drawing up the candidate lists (Marina Berlusconi permitting), and for the allies chasing the majority bonus. “I believe that Italy’s future is a serious matter and also concerns the football fanbases,” Storace concludes. And for this reason, he reiterates: “If they want the wealth tax, let them go ahead.”

Ruggiero Montenegro