Footballers are often judged by their surnames, whether it’s ex-Celtic loanee Timo Weah or Dundee United flop Rodney Sneijder. But what about when that surname is Mussolini?
That was the situation facing fans of Italian Serie B side SS Juve Stabia over the summer when Romano Floriani Mussolini joined the historically left-wing Campania side on loan from Serie A side Lazio. Romano, known widely as Mussolini Jnr, is the great-grandson of Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922, until his deposition in 1943, and firm ally of Adolf Hitler.
Mussolini Jnr, a 21-year-old Rome born defender, celebrated a major milestone at the weekend as he netted his first goal in senior football – the winner in a 1-0 success at home to Cesena. But it was the reaction of fans that has caused a stir in his homeland, as he ran to the stand with his finger to his lips signalling for silence as fans repeatedly chanted his first name loudly while performing the Roman salute – a gesture historically associated with fascism that was first popularised by Benito Mussolini.
Previously Romano said: “My great-grandfather, Benito, was a significant figure in Italy, but we are in 2024 and the world has changed. There will always be some prejudices, but my work is unrelated and it doesn’t weigh on me. I’m open to challenges: if I have to silence those who hold prejudices about my surname, I will do it.”
Whilst Romano is still making his way in the game, the defender’s mum, Alessandra Mussolini, hit the headlines herself back in 2019 after getting into a spat with Celtic fans over a banner unveiled during a Champions League tie between the Hoops and Lazio which had an image of Mussolini hanging by his feet and the message ‘Follow Your Leader.’
A furious Alessandra responded by calling the banner an ‘act of violence’ and calling for a new law to punish supporters, however that garnered little sympathy from Hoops diehards – who followed up her comments by displaying a banner that read ‘Alessandra vaffanculo’ during a victory against Aberdeen. A message that translates to Alessandra ‘f*** off’. UEFA fined the Parkhead club £12,900 for what it described as an “illicit banner” over the Mussolini incident.