Former Lazio eagle handler Juan Bernabé has launched a harsh public criticism against club president Claudio Lotito, nearly a year after his dismissal for sharing images of his penile prosthesis.
Bernabé, speaking to Italian sports news outlet ‘Tutto Mercato’, accused Lotito of greed and hypocrisy regarding the club’s “Lazio essence.” He asserted that Lotito “likes to see others suffer” and primarily views the football club as a “source of income.”
The former eagle handler reiterated that he does not regret sharing the images. He attributed the ensuing controversy to Italy’s “closed and intolerant culture.”
Bernabé contrasted Italian reactions with those in other countries. He stated that “in Brazil or Japan, parties that celebrate nudity are normal. Here they are unacceptable.”
He directly challenged Lotito’s public comments about the incident. Bernabé recalled that Lotito had compared the club to “Cicciolina,” a former adult film actress.
Bernabé countered, “I would like to remind him that Cicciolina, whom I consider an example of freedom, occupied the same chair he now occupies in the Senate.”
He revealed that he has since created an OnlyFans profile. This step, he said, is “to show that I am free to live as I please, without anyone judging me.”
Bernabé described calling Lotito to apologize after the video went public. He recounted Lotito initially saying he was not angry with Bernabé, but rather with the medical team who, he claimed, “exploited me as a public figure.”
Lotito then “started talking about ethics,” Bernabé said. The former handler questioned Lotito’s moral authority. He suggested that if Lotito “behaves badly in public, at home he’s even worse.”
Bernabé emphasized his own work ethic during his youth and his family values as a father of two children. He felt Lotito had wrongly implied he was a perverse person.
Lazio has since appointed Giacomo Garruto as the new eagle handler. The club’s eagle is now named Flaminia.