It was a bit of a cocky move by the man charged with minding the eagle mascot of Serie A side Lazio.
Juan Bernabe, the club falconer, posted post-op photos as well as videos of his genitals following penis enhancement surgery to his private Instagram account, which prompted supporters of Lazio who followed him to screenshot the post and share it publicly.
Bernabe, 56, has been Lazio’s falconer for the past 15 years, serving as the man who cares for the eagle Olimpia that flies over Stadio Olimpico before every home game.
Following the controversy, the club parted ways with the showy Bernabe, who claimed in a radio interview with Radio 24’s “La Zanzara” in Italy that “nudity is normal” while showing no regret over his actions.
“We, and the historic symbol of the eagle, can no longer be associated with a person who with his behavior has made the continuation of any relationship impossible,” Lazio said in a statement.
Bernabe wasn’t shy about the procedure, his reasonings for it or the fact he doesn’t have any regret over posting the photo to his social media.
“I’ve never regretted anything, let alone doing something that has a medical purpose,” Bernabe insisted on “La Zanzara,” according to 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.”
As for the procedure itself, Bernabe claimed to have it “to increase my sexual performance” and that he is “very active.”
The social media post wasn’t the first time Bernabe has been under the microscope.
He was suspended by Lazio in 2021 after he was filmed doing a fascist salute after a match with Inter Milan and then chanting “Duce, Duce” which was a phrase used by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini.
The now-ex-falconer said that “I admire him a lot” when he was discussing Mussolini and said that working for Lazio was “an honor” and that it “makes me feel more masculine.”