October 27, 1922 is a significant date in Italian history. Indeed, it is the beginning of the march on Rome which will bring Benito Mussolini and fascism to power in Italy. The beginning of a terrible period for the country which will be followed by the Second World War. 104 years later, Mussolini marched on Rome again, but this time it was not about politics. Great-grandson of the Italian dictator, Romano Benito Floriani Mussolini established himself on the side of SS Lazio as one of Gennaro Gattuso’s starters. A great reward for a player whose history is deeply marked in his family tree.
A heavy legacy to bear
If it is difficult for the sons of football legends to take on their father’s name for their legacy, Romano Benito Floriani Mussolini is in an even more complex situation. Responsible for around 1 million deaths over the 23 years during which he ruled Italy, his great-grandfather Benito Mussolini was the founder of fascism in Italy and would tip the country into the camp of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany during the Second World War. However, if Benito Mussolini was executed and then hanged upside down with his mistress Clara Petacci on April 29, 1945, his descendants were able to live a life far from being marginal.
His fourth son Romano Mussolini was an Italian pianist and painter, he is the grandfather of Romano Benito Floriani Mussolini. The latter’s mother is Alessandra Mussolini, who is a center-right politician, and his great-aunt is none other than the illustrious Sophia Loren. A family far from ordinary for the player whose father Mauro Floriani was sentenced to a year in prison for having had relations with underage prostitutes in 2014. Yet despite this, the young Romano Benito Floriani Mussolini will succeed in making his way in football. Trained with SS Lazio, he will however have to fight to establish himself there.
The controversy surrounding his name and his rise to power
Sent on loan to Pescara in Serie C during the 2023/2024 season, he was able to reverse the trend to completely establish himself as a starter over the course of the season (32 appearances). The following year, he joined Serie B side Juve Stabia for a new positive experience (37 matches, 1 goal and 4 goals). However, this passage was marked by controversy during the match against Cesena where he scored his very first professional goal in December 2024. Supporters in the stands performed Roman salutes to celebrate their player’s goal. However, this did not slow down the rise of the right-hander who played last season with Cremonese.
A third loan where he was still up to the task (29 matches played, 3 assists) despite the club’s relegation to Serie B. For his part, the main person concerned still had to defend himself from the mockery surrounding his name, he whose flocking bore “Mussolini”: “As for my name, it has never been a problem for me. Since I started playing football, all I thought about was playing. It was mostly a problem for others, not me. It’s a burden for some, but not for me. The less said about it, the better. I am here to play, to express myself on the pitch, not for anything else. This is what I wanted to make clear from the start, especially now that I’m playing in Serie A.“. This summer, Lazio faced economic problems and spent little. This therefore opened a gap for the Italian player.
Romano Benito Floriani Mussolini explodes at Lazio
In competition with the aging Manuel Lazzari (32 years old) and Adam Marusic (34 years old), he has completely made his mark this season. Starting in Lazio’s first 9 Serie A matches, he has not yet experienced defeat, participating in the Roman club’s fantastic start to the season. The Biancocelesti have won 8 matches with a draw and are in first place with 25 points just ahead of Inter Milan, AS Roma and Como. A nice tour de force for Gennaro Gattuso and his gang who were not mentioned as credible contenders for a top 4 at the start of the season. An important player in this dream start to the year, Romano Benito Floriani Mussolini stands out. This Tuesday against Sassuolo, during the resounding 6-2 success, he scored his first goal in the colors of the Roman club.
Fast in his lane and constantly evolving, he has significant motivation and progresses through the stages gradually without going too fast. Expected to play understudy, the 23-year-old full-back is finally essential and is enjoying this totally unexpected start to the year. “It’s incredible to have scored today. I really wanted to do it for the many supporters who came, it’s my way of thanking them for all their love. It felt like we were playing at home.» he confided to DAZN after his first goal with the Roman club. He also slipped in a little note for Gennaro Gattuso: “the secret is the freedom he gives me, as well as the left back: he encourages us to attack and above all, he insists that we always remain very concentrated.” Under contract with Lazio until June 2028 but with a two-year option, he is also mentioned in the small files of Inter Milan to possibly replace Luis Henrique this winter. Never called up for the Italian selection, he could see his name quickly come back to the ears of coach Roberto Mancini. In just a few weeks, Romano Benito Floriani Mussolini is conquering football Italy.
