Lazio’s Falconer has been fired for sharing explicit photos

Italian club Lazio have sacked a man responsible for handling the club’s eagle mascot after videos of his prosthetic penis were shared online.

Falconer Juan Bernabe has handled the eagle Olimpia since the 2010-11 season and flies the bird over the Serie A club’s Stadio Olimpico before matches.

However, Lazio – whose crest is emblazoned with an eagle – has parted ways with Bernabeu after images and videos of his penis were shared online on social media following implant surgery.

Lazio said they were “surprised” by the images, and that Bernabe was fired “with immediate effect”.

The Serie A club added that they are aware of the “shared pain that the loss of the eagle will cause the fans for the upcoming home games” but that it is “impossible to associate our historic symbol with such (a) person”.

Bernabe defended the decision to publish the videos, telling the Radio24 radio station that he was trying to raise awareness of the operation and shared on his private social networks that “nudity is normal, I grew up in a naturist and open family”.

The 56-year-old was suspended by the club in 2021 for making a fascist salute at the end of the match against Inter Milan.

Bernabe was filmed saluting and chanting “duce, duce”, which translates as “leader, leader” and is associated with former Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini.

“I did it and I don’t regret it because I admire Mussolini, he did great things for Italy as Franco did for Spain,” Bernabe said in 2021.