Suspected racist chanting halted play at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday as hosts Lazio suffered a 2-0 defeat that kept visitors' Napoli's sterling Serie A season on track.
But the main talking point was a three-minute suspension in the second half on the orders of match officials for racist and insulting chanting aimed at Napoli defender Kalidou Coulibaly.
Ref Massimiliano Irrati stopped the game in the 68th minute after insulting chants were directed at the Senegalese player, and waited for them to cease.
However when the game restarted the abuse was heard once again around the Stadio Olimpico, with the Coulibaly sarcastically gesturing for the fans to carry on.
Lazio may now face sanctions for the racist chanting.
Following a rapid and open start to the game, the Partenopei took the lead through Gonzalo Higuain in the 24th minute. The visitors were cruising just three minutes later as Jose Callejon doubled their lead.
In contrast to the first half, the second was much less eventful despite a mild Lazio fightback and Napoli seemed comfortable defending their lead.
The match begun with an invigorating tempo with the first chance falling to Napoli. Dusan Basta made an awful pass back, which came straight to Higuain, however Federico Marchetti saved Basta’s blushes.
Yet, the Neapolitans soon asserted their superiority through the mercurial Higuain. Jorginho played a delightful pass over the Lazio defence and into the path of Callejon, before he pulled back to Higuain who put away his 23rd goal of the season.
Just minutes later the Partenopei doubled their lead. Lorenzo Insigne lifted the ball in behind the Aquile defence, playing in Callejon, who one-on-one with Marchetti and he scooped the ball past the Italian.
Unlike the first half, the start to the second half was rather subdued. However, Lazio were on top and they created the first real chance when Keita Balde’s driven cross was headed narrowly wide by Abdoulay Konko.
The Aquile were working their way back into the game and should have scored when Miroslav Klose was played in one-on-one with Pepe Reina, but the usually composed German could only put his effort over the bar.
Just moments later the game was briefly stopped because of racist chanting directed at Kalidou Koulibaly and anti-Neapolitan chants.
The win keeps Napoli above Juventus in first place whereas Lazio stay in eighth place.