Romano Floriani Mussolini, the great-grandchild of Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, has re-signed for Rome-based football club SS Lazio.

Romano, born in 2003, is playing his first season in Serie B after moving to Juve Stabia on loan from Lazio in July. He came through Lazio's academy. His mother, Alessandra, a former Italian and European MP, is the granddaughter of Benito Mussolini, the fascist dictator who ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943.

However, it is his surname that gathers a lot of attention.

Mauro Bianchessi, manager of Lazio's youth team, told Repubblica, "He's a humble boy who's never complained, not even when he didn't play for two years."

"I like him. He's not yet a seasoned player, but he looks promising. 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."

Romano Mussolini's parent club, Lazio, has a well-known history of being supported by racist and far-right groups. The fans, known as the Lazio ultras, often exhibit violent behaviour.

Lazio's fans have a reputation for displaying swastika symbols and shouting racial slurs at black players. In 1998, they even showed a large banner during a match against rival club AS Roma that read, "Auschwitz is your homeland. The ovens are your homes."

Romano, who had netted his first professional goal at the Romeo Menti Stadium in Castelam Maredistavia in southern Italy, played for Juve Stabia in Serie B last season.

The right-wing back's goal led his team to a 1-0 win over Cesena. However, the event was overshadowed at the time by the crowd's controversial reaction following the goal.

When the stadium announcer shouted Floriani Mussolini's name, his team's supporters celebrated the goal with a "Mussolini" chant accompanied by a fascist salute.

This incident led the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) to announce that it would launch an investigation into the celebration of the fascist salute.

"The federal prosecutor's office (of the FIGC) will send a report on the incident… to the sports judge of Serie B for a ruling," the FIGC said. Incidentally, this form of saluting, which gained popularity during the rule of dictator Mussolini, is now strictly prohibited in Italy.