Juan Bernabé, the falcon handler for Italian soccer club Lazio's mascot, was fired on Tuesday for sharing pictures of his prosthetic penis on social media.
Bernabé, who has been with Lazio since the 2010-11 season, shared photos on his private social media accounts of his penile implant then boasted about it on La Zanzara, a controversial Italian radio show on Monday, AP reported.
The falconer added he was "very proud" and felt "more masculine" for his role with Lazio.
However, the team fired Bernabé the following day. In a scathing statement obtained by AP, Lazio revealed it had "stopped, with immediate effect, all relationship with this person, given the seriousness of his behavior."
"The club realizes—and shares—the pain that the fans will feel at the loss of the eagle in the next home games, but believes that it is not possible to be associated ... with a person who, by his own initiative, has made the continuation of the relationship unacceptable," the statement continued.
This is not the first time Bernabé has stirred up trouble for Lazio. In 2021, he was suspended for giving a fascist salute at the end of a match and chanting "Duce, Duce," a nickname for former fascist Italian leader Benito Mussolini.
"I admire him so much," Bernabè stated in his radio show appearance.
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