Anne Frank's diary to be read before all matches in Italy

After Lazio fans plastered the Olympic Stadium with pictures of Anne Frank in a Roma jersey last Sunday, the Italian Football Federation and the government have decided to oppose the racist and antisemitic "fans" of Lazio, world media report, as reported by Patria News Agency.

Let's recall, Lazio played at home against Cagliari last weekend, and the north stand of the Olympic Stadium, where Lazio fans usually are, was closed due to racist outbursts in the match against Sassuolo. The club therefore opened the south stand for its fans, the one usually occupied by Roma ultras, writes Index.

Laziali, known for racism, support for war criminals like Arkan, and regular abuse of black players, plastered the Roma stand with the aforementioned stickers, which quickly spread across social networks.

Lazio officials, in order to distance the club from such behavior, visited the Rome synagogue, laid a wreath, and announced annual trips to Auschwitz for their youngest fans to educate them about the horrors Jews experienced during World War II.

The Italian Football Federation joined the initiative, announcing that there will be a minute of silence at all Serie A, B, C, amateur, cadet, and junior matches this weekend. In addition, a passage from Anne Frank's diary will be read over the public address system before the start of the matches.

- I see the world gradually turning into a wilderness, I hear the constant rumble which is approaching us too and will take us with it, I feel the suffering of millions and yet, if I look at the sky, I think that it will all come right, that this cruelty too will end, that peace and tranquility will return again - wrote the girl who died in the spring of 1945 in the infamous Nazi camp Bergen-Belsen.

- This is unbelievable, completely unacceptable, and cannot be ignored - said Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, while Italian Minister of Sport Luca Totti added:

- There are no "buts" here. There is no justification for such actions, and I hope the perpetrators will be severely punished.

Lazio fans also responded, attempting to draw attention to other "problems" on Facebook.

- We are surprised by the attention given to this case. We believe there are much more serious and bigger problems in Italy that deserve such media attention - the post stated.

Lazio fans have flirted with antisemitism before, in addition to racism.