Italy federation investigating Lazio over COVID-19 rules

MILAN (Reuters) - Italy's soccer federation FIGC said on Tuesday it has opened an investigation into Serie A club Lazio over potential violations of COVID-19 health protocols when carrying out testing.

FIGC inspected Lazio's sport centre near Rome and seized the results of swab tests on players ahead of last week's matches against Club Brugge and Torino, the federation said in a statement on its website.

It also asked Lazio on Tuesday to submit the results of swab tests it carried out ahead of Wednesday's Champions League match against Zenit St Petersburg.

FIGC prosecutors have also spoken to Lazio's president Claudio Lotito and the team doctor, the soccer federation said.

Lazio staff did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

On Saturday, the club said some members of their squad had tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of a Serie A match against Torino, but they did not name them or say how many there were.

The club also sent a depleted squad to Belgium for a Champions League match against Club Brugge last week, without specifying which of the missing players, if any, had tested positive for COVID-19.

(Reporting by Elvira Pollina, editing by Giulia Segreti and Hugh Lawson)