Let’s get one thing straight, Romano Floriani Mussolini is a soccer player, while related he cannot pay or should be treated differently because of the sins of his great-grandfather Benito Mussolini. Still, it is one of the “craziest” circumstances in all of topflight soccer.

Benito Mussolini was the dictator of Italy from 1922 until 1943, a former journalist, Benito Mussolini would rise to power on the March on Rome in 1922. Mussolini founded and led the National Fascist Party (PNF) and was a close ally of Adolf Hitler during the rise of the Nazi party and World War II.

Eventually, Mussolini would be overthrown, and on April 28, 1945, the dictator would be executed, shot, by an Italian partisan in the small village of Giulino di Mezzegra in northern Italy. Fast forward more than 70 years and his great-grandson who has no interest in politics now plays for Serie A side Lazio.

Profile of Romano Floriani Mussolini

Romano Floriani Mussolini family lineage breaks down as follows: He is the son of politician Alessandra Mussolini, the grandson of pianist Romano Mussolini and the great-grandson of the Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini.

Romano Floriani Mussolini with Lazio youth team (Sky Italy)

Romano Floriani Mussolini began his youth career playing for cross town rivals Roma but joined Lazio at 13. Since then, he has had a steady climb to the first team, making the bench in Lazio’s Conference League match CFR Cluj most recently.

Mussolini has yet to make his professional debut for Lazio but is edging closer. In 2021, Lazio’s youth coach Mauro Bianchessi said, “The burdensome surname? I’ve never spoken to his parents, and the only thing that matters is whether a player deserves to play. Nothing else.”

Some pundits have pointed out the uneasy relationship the last name of Mussolini has by playing with a club that has had a traditional neo- fascism support in the past. For Romano Floriani Mussolini it’s all about what happens on the field, but unfortunately he will have to deal with what happened off of it almost a century ago.

romano floriani mussolini

Romano Floriani Mussolini a Lazio player that is the great-grandson of Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini