The well-known falconer at Italian soccer club Lazio was fired Monday after he posted graphic images of his penis implant surgery on social media.
Juan Bernabe, 56, was already a controversial figure at the club for his open support of fascism, but his up-and-down career came to an end after Sunday’s Instagram posts, The Athletic reported.
Lazio “can no longer be associated with a person who with his behavior has made the continuation of any relationship impossible,” the club said Monday in a statement.
Bernabe had worked as a bird handler at Lazio since the 2010-11 season, guiding Olimpia the eagle as the bird soared over Lazio’s stadium before home matches.
But apparently Olimpia wasn’t the only bird on his mind. After his revealing post went viral, he defended himself in a cocksure Italian radio interview, according to The Athletic.
“I had the surgery to increase my sexual performance,” Bernabe said. “Because I am very active… My erection is normal but with this device, I press a button that allows me to be able to perfectly control both the erection and duration.”
Lazio said the club knew fans would be disappointed to no longer see the eagle fly, but they could no longer stomach employing Bernabe.
The falconer has landed in hot water before. He was briefly suspended in 2021 after leading a “Duce, Duce” chant in the Lazio stands in support of Benito Mussolini.
“I did it and I don’t regret it because I admire Mussolini, he did great things for Italy,” he said in an interview afterward.