LAZIO spokesman Arturo Diaconale claimed that Saturday’s reports of racist and anti-semitic chants during the the club’s 4-1 victory over Novara is “a form of psychosis focusing on either a minority or non-existent incidents.”

Italy has been engulfed with racist incidents over the past few seasons, most recently Inter Milan were handed a two-game stadium closure after their fans racially abused Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly.

Lazio supporters have been accused of aiming a series of chants towards bitter rivals Roma, including: “Yellow, red and Jewish” and “This Roma that looks like Africa.”

However, Diaconale has claimed that he didn’t hear a single racist or anti-semitic chant and that these stories “would normally be ignored.”

“I am here to talk about the racist and anti-semitic chants that are supposed to have happened,” proclaimed Diaconale in the press room after the match.

“I am part of the 98 per cent of people in the stadium who didn’t hear them. The club naturally condemns any racist or anti-semitic chant, but we have to consider the dimensions of the phenomenon.

“I think it’s a form of psychosis focusing on either a minority or non-existent incidents. I read about chants as if the entire stadium had participated in them. We mustn’t turn this into a mass panic over nothing.

“I invite our colleagues in the media to give the right degree of consideration to incidents that would normally be ignored.”

Elsewhere on Saturday, Juventus younger Moise Kean was allegedly racially abused by Bologna fans during the Old Lady’s 2-0 win.

Kean scored his team’s second goal and the racist incident is believed to be under investigation by the league.