Lazio fined $190K for fans' racist abuse

UEFA said on Wednesday it fined Lazio €140,000 ($190,000) and deferred a stadium closure "for a probationary period of two years."

Lazio was found guilty of racist behavior among a range of offenses relating to its home match against Tottenham in Rome on Nov. 22 and a game in Slovenia against Maribor on Dec. 6.

In addition to chants, Lazio fans displayed a "Free Palestine" banner at the Olympic Stadium, taunting Tottenham which traditionally draws fans from London's Jewish community.

UEFA previously fined the Italian club €40,000 (then $52,300) for its fans' racist behavior when it first played Tottenham, in London in September.

Lazio has earned €2.6 million ($3.53 million) in UEFA bonuses and prize money by winning its Europa League group. It can get further payments from UEFA for advancing through knockout rounds, and the club will also collect a share of Italian broadcasting revenues for the competition.

UEFA's disciplinary panel ruling will stir further debate on the severity of sanctions for incidents involving racism and discrimination inside stadiums.