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Ciro Immobile at the Champions League game in Munich in March
Photo: Alexander Hassenstein / Getty Images
Lazio captain Ciro Immobile says he was attacked in front of his family.
A group attacked him verbally and physically in front of his son's preschool on Friday morning, Immobile reported.
His wife and four-year-old son were present at the incident.
According to media reports, the former Dortmund player and his family have already had to endure verbal attacks in public in the past few days.
Since the resignation of the previous Lazio coach Maurizio Sarri, rumors have been circulating on social media that Immobile was involved in the coach's departure.
According to Immobile's team of spokespersons, Friday's attack was the result of the "incitement to hatred carried out by some media and journalists through their social channels."
They spread hateful statements against the striker.
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Shortly after the incident, the 34-year-old instructed his lawyers to take criminal action against those responsible.
“Inciting hatred is a crime that must be punished,” said his spokesman team in a statement.
Lazio Rome sided with the captain.
"Any act of verbal or physical violence must be condemned unanimously, decisively and without justification," it said in a statement on Friday evening.
On Wednesday, Sarri surprisingly announced his departure from Lazio.
There was recently a crisis under the Italian: Lazio clearly failed against FC Bayern Munich after a 1-0 home win with a 3-0 defeat in the second leg of the round of 16 of the Champions League.
There have recently been three defeats in a row in Serie A.
Many of the club's supporters claimed that Immobile had turned his back on Sarri, which in turn caused him to resign.
Immobile is actually a legend at Lazio.
In 2018, 2020 and 2022 he became the top scorer in Serie A wearing the Romans' jersey. His time in Dortmund was less successful, where he only scored three goals in 24 Bundesliga games from 2014 onwards.
kjo/dpa