- Roma fans held up an offensive message about the Queen on Thursday night
- It capped off a shameful 24 hours for Roma away from the pitch
- Ollie Watkins is in the form of his life and will be licking his chops ready for Spurs – It’s All Kicking Off podcast
Roma ultras held up a vile banner containing an X-rated message directed at the late Queen during their Europa League clash with Brighton on Thursday night.
The banner was unveiled in the home section during the first half at the Stadio Olimpico and read: ‘The Queen gave b******s’.
Queen Elizabeth II passed away in September 2022 at the age of 96, with her son Charles taking the throne following her death.
Football fans have protested against the monarchy in the past, with Celtic supporters opting to do so in the days after the Queen’s death 18 months ago.
They held up a banner a week after her passing that read ‘F*** The Crown’, while they also interrupted a minute’s applause before a league game with St Mirren by singing ‘if you hate the Royal Family clap your hands’.
Roma ultras held up an offensive banner with a vile message about the Queen on Thursday
Queen Elizabeth II (pictured) died in September 2022 at the age of 96
There have been fewer protests since, but Roma’s offensive banner has put the Royal Family back into the spotlight.
It caps off a shameful 24 hours for Roma away from the pitch after two Brighton fans were stabbed by ‘six or seven people wearing masks’ on Wednesday night.
The two men, aged 28 and 29, were taken to hospital after suffering ‘minor knife wounds’ in their thighs.
Police were called to the historic Monti district of Rome after a restaurant waiter raised the alarm around midnight on Wednesday evening.
The Brighton pair were robbed of a belt bag containing their identity documents and wallets. An investigation is underway.
One of the fans who was stabbed was still able to attend Thursday’s game as they were pictured arriving at the ground with the aid of a crutch.
The supporter received a rousing reception from the travelling fans as he made his way to his seat before kick-off.
One of the Brighton fans who was stabbed made his way to the stadium with the aid of a crutch
On the pitch, Roma picked up a dominant 4-0 win and now look set to make the quarter-finals
But there was more trouble inside the stadium once the game got underway, as Brighton accused Roma’s supporters of throwing bottles, coins and lighters at the away section.
They called for UEFA and the Italian police to take ‘immediate action’ against those responsible.
On the pitch, it was a nightmare evening for Roberto De Zerbi’s men as they slumped to a 4-0 defeat in the opening leg of the last-16 tie.
Goals from Paulo Dybala, Romeul Lukaku, Gianluca Mancini and Bryan Cristante put Roma in complete control, and they are now overwhelming favourites to progress to the quarter-finals ahead of next week’s return leg.
