Roma may face sanctions for unseemly banners

One of the lowlights of Saturday's Napoli match against AS Roma was the appearance of banners in the Curva Sud, home of the ultra faction of the il Lupi fanbase, that mocked the mother of slain Napoli fan Ciro Esposito. Now, the club appears to be set to pay for their fans' crimes.

There's been outrage around Italy over what those fans did, with media outlets around the country decrying the fans' actions for the insult that they were. The banners accused Antonella Leardi of using her son's death to profit by writing a book and performing interviews about it, when the reality is anything but. Ms Leardi's book is a memorial for her son, and the interviews she conducts are to speak out about -- ironically -- the violence and madness that has gripped the ultra culture in Italy and around Europe.

Now it looks as though that same madness may cost Roma, with the club under investigation and facing sanctions from the sports court. Some reports indicate that the Curva Sud could be closed for several matches, temporarily displacing the fans who started this outrage in the first place.

Fortunately, some good has come of their insult, with both Roma owner James Pallotta and the president of the FIGC condemning their actions for the harmful, hate-filled thing that they were. Because the world loves to play a good joke, the irony is that these angry ultras only brought more positive attention to the cause of the woman they tried to vilify.