Italy to probe anti-Semitic Anne Frank stickers left by Lazio fans
Lazio's supporters celebrate their team's victory at the end of the UEFA Europa League football match between Nice and Lazio on October 19, 2017, at the Allianz Riviera stadium in Nice, southeastern France. (AFP Photo)


Images of Anne Frank wearing a Roma jersey were among the anti-Semitic stickers and graffiti left by Lazio fans that were discovered at the Stadio Olimpico on Monday.

It was the latest in a long line of racist or anti-Semitic incidents involving Lazio supporters.

The northern curva (end) of the stadium where Lazio's "ultra" fans sit was closed on Sunday for the match with Cagliari due to racist chanting during a match against Sassuolo this month.

As a result, Lazio decided to open the southern end and let the ultras in where Roma's hard-core fans sit for their home matches.

Stadium cleaners found the anti-Semitic stickers a day later.

The Italian football federation is likely to open an investigation, which could result in a full stadium ban for Lazio.

"This is not a curva, this is not football, this is not sport. Keep the anti-Semites out of the stadiums," tweeted Ruth Dureghello, the president of Rome's Jewish community.

"Dureghello is right," Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi added.

The partial stadium ban stemmed from derogatory chants directed at visiting Sassuolo players Claud Adjapong and Alfred Duncan.

Adjapong was born in Italy to Ghanaian parents and has represented Italy Under-19s. Duncan is from Ghana.

Lazio will also be without fans in the northern end when Udinese visits on Nov. 5, as it was also decided to apply a sanction that had been conditionally suspended for racist chanting during the Rome derby in April.

Also this season, Lazio beat Belgian side Zulte Waregem 2-0 in a Europa League match behind closed doors due to punishment from UEFA for racist chants aimed at a Sparta Prague player in the Roman side's last continental appearance two seasons ago.