An Italian professional soccer club fired its falconer for posting pictures of his prosthetic penis online after he underwent surgery for a penile implant, according to the club and media reports.
According to a statement released by Società Sportiva Lazio (SS Lazio) on Monday, the Rome-based club said it was surprised to see the images of Juan Bernabè and announced he had immediately been removed from the club.
Bernabè, 56, posted the photos of his prosthetic penis on his private social media accounts, multiple outlets including the Associated Press and the Athletic reported. In the post, which included the caption ‘a wonderful operation,’ Bernabè can be seen at the Nuova Villa Claudia clinic in Rome with his appendage protruding under a bedsheet, according to the Athletic.
The club said it is aware fans could be disappointed about the eagle’s absence at upcoming home games.
The eagle, a bird that is symbolic of ancient Rome, traditionally flies over Stadio Olimpico before SS Lazio’s home games. Bernabè is the instructor of Olympia, a white-headed eagle SS Lazio adopted in 2010, Reuters reported.
Juan Bernabè: ‘I’ve never regretted anything’
While speaking to an Italian radio show called ‘La Zanzara’ on Monday, Bernabè explained why he got the procedure done and if he regretted posting the explicit images online.
Bernabè told host, journalist Giuseppe Cruciani, that he got the surgery done for non-medical reasons and it was purely for sexual gratification.
When Cruciani asked the ex-falconer whether or not he regretted posting the pictures that ultimately got him fired, Bernabè responded, ‘Absolutely not,’ the Athletic reported.
“I’ve never regretted anything, let alone doing something that has a medical purpose,’ Bernabè said, per the Athletic. ‘For me, nudity is normal. I grew up in an open-minded family of naturists. I don’t understand what’s pornographic about the photo.”
Juan Bernabè performed a fascist salute in 2021
SS Lazio suspended Bernabè in 2021 when he was filmed performing a fascist salute at the end of a match and chanting “Duce, Duce,” which was the name used to praise former fascist Italian leader Benito Mussolini, the Associated Press reported.
“I admire him so much,” Bernabè said about Mussolini during Monday’s radio interview, per the AP.