Season 24/25 - October

Italian police arrest 19 people in massive probe targeting mafia links to Milan soccer 'ultra' fans - 01/10/2024

Source : https://www.wfmj.com/

Italian police arrested 19 people, accused of criminal ties with the powerful ‘Ndrangheta mafia group, in a move that decimated the fan clubs backing Serie A teams Inter Milan and AC Milan.

Prosecutors said at a press conference on Monday that possible charges include criminal association, with the use of “mafia methods,” extortion, assault and other serious offenses.

According to the wide investigation, the criminal ring was linked to ‘Ndrangheta – the Italian mafia organization that has emerged in recent years as one of the most powerful crime syndicates in the world, rivaling the better-known Sicilian mob.

Prosecutors allege that the suspects have attempted to take control of all the lucrative business activities around Milan’s Giuseppe Meazza stadium — also known as San Siro – including parking, food, tickets and souvenir sales. Investigators said that some of the suspects might also have been involved in drug trafficking.

Police searched the houses of over 50 people, including Giancarlo Lombardi, a once top AC Milan fan known as “The Baron,” as well as that of Antonio Bellocco, a former local ’Ndrangheta boss who was killed a few weeks ago.

Among those arrested were Luca Lucci and Renato Bosetti, leaders of the AC Milan and Inter Milan “ultras” fan groups respectively. Lucci had been previously convicted for drug-related charges.

Christian Rosiello, described by local media as the bodyguard of popular Italian rapper Fedez, was also among the detained.

“This investigation shows the risks of infiltration creeping into professional and non-professional soccer by organized crime,” said Italy’s anti-mafia prosecutor Giovanni Melillo. “We need to stop pretending not to see these risks.”

Milan prosecutor Marcello Viola clarified that Milan’s two soccer clubs are “offended parties” in the investigation, having put in place rules to prevent wrongdoing.

“But they will also have to prove that they have severed any relationship with deviant supporters,” Viola added.




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Source: lindependant.fr

The leaders of the ultras of the two Milan clubs were among those arrested.

On Monday 30 September, the Italian police carried out a major operation, against a backdrop of mafia infiltration, against the ‘ultras’ of the AC Milan and Inter Milan football clubs, suspected of controlling a whole range of lucrative activities around the stadiums.

The police and customs authorities arrested 19 people and carried out wide-ranging searches at the end of a ‘maximum investigation’ led by the anti-mafia prosecutor's office in Milan (north). The investigation uncovered ‘the existence of criminal infiltration within the ultras involving the main leaders’ of these supporters' associations, according to a statement from the city's public prosecutor.

A police source told AFP that the leaders of the ultras of the two clubs in the Lombardy capital, Luca Lucci (AC) and Renato Bosetti (Inter), were among those arrested.

Some of the defendants are facing lengthy prison sentences for mafia-style criminal conspiracy. The others are being prosecuted for extortion, forgery and use of forgeries, and intentional violence.

This operation comes barely a month after the death of Antonio Bellocco, an influential Inter Milan fan and member of the Calabrian ‘Ndrangheta mafia. He had been stabbed by Andrea Beretta, one of Bosetti's predecessors, on 4 September in a Milan suburb during a brawl.

The death of Antonio Bellocco illustrates the presence of the mafia among the radical supporters' groups in Italian football, attracted by the income derived from the illegal sale of tickets and parking spaces, catering and drug trafficking.

Andrea Beretta, who has multiple convictions for violence and drug trafficking, came to prominence in the Curva Nord at the San Siro stadium after the murder of Vittorio Boiocchi in October 2022.

At the time, the Italian press reported phone taps in which Boiocchi boasted that he earned €80,000 a month from his duties as ultras leader alone.

Two leaders of the Inter Milan ultras, Marco Ferdico and Andrea Beretta, are therefore suspected of ‘criminal association with the aim of favouring the Bellocco mafia clan’, according to the prosecutor's statement.

The AC Milan ultras, based in the Curva Sud, are not accused of Mafia offences, however, said Marcello Viola, Milan's public prosecutor, at a press conference, ‘even though there have been a series of attempts, which have never led to agreements, with people close to organised crime’.

When questioned by AFP, Mr Viola did not specify how much money the ultras of the two teams made from their activities, merely mentioning an anonymous businessman who managed a car park and was extorted €4,000 a month.


The prosecutor said that neither Inter nor Milan, nor any member of the management of the two clubs, were being investigated by the authorities, who considered that the two clubs had been harmed by the alleged criminal behaviour of those arrested.

‘It would be wrong to say that all ultras are criminals, but it is clear to everyone that a significant proportion of ultras are involved in criminal activities’, said Giovanni Melillo, the head of Italy's anti-mafia and anti-terrorism authority.

Lucca Lucci


Renato Bosetti

Atletico Madrid Bans Fan for Life After Real Madrid Derby Incident- 01/10/2024

Source : https://www.menara.ma/

Atletico Madrid has announced that they have permanently banned a fan involved in throwing objects onto the pitch during Sunday’s heated derby against Real Madrid. The match at the Estadio Metropolitano was paused for 15 minutes after home supporters threw items, including lighters, at Real Madrid players.

Atletico managed to secure a dramatic late equaliser in the 95th minute through Ángel Correa.

The club is continuing to collaborate with police to identify other culprits. “Our security department continues to work with the police to identify the rest of those involved, who will be permanently expelled as soon as they are located,” the club said in a statement.

Atletico emphasised its commitment to eradicating violence and upholding sporting values. “The club’s firm conviction to eradicate any form of violence and our defence of the values of sport are unquestionable. We will continue to work with all our resources with the aim of eliminating this type of behaviour,” they added.

In response to the incident, Atletico Madrid has revised its stadium rules, now prohibiting any clothing or accessories that obscure a person’s face to prevent identification.

Inter Milan - Red Star Belgrade - 01/10/2024

Source : telegraf.rs

Scandal ahead of Red Star vs. Inter: Italian police break into journalists' hotel at dawn, looking for Delije

The game is treated as a high risk one

The game is treated as a high risk one, which is why visiting fans are prohibited from entering the stadium.

Red Star supporters nevertheless showed up and took a walk through the streets of Milan in a procession, which only heated up the atmosphere, so this morning the police reacted and raided a hotel where Serbian journalists are staying, says a Telegraf reporter.

This big scandal happened around 6 o'clock in the morning when members of the Italian police literally burst into the hotel and immediately started asking those present questions.

"Who are you, what are you, what are you doing here, are there any more Serbs," they shouted at Serbian journalists.

They then checked the passports and credentials of the media workers and left after a few minutes. It is interesting that they checked mostly younger people, which may be an indication that they were looking for Red Star's most ardent fans, known as Delije.

The leader of Delije yesterday gave a speech to the Red Star footballers, in front of the hotel.

Delije

PSV Eindhoven - Sporting Portugal - 01/10/2024

Source : mail

Sporting

RB Salzburg - Brest - 01/10/2024

Source : mail

Atletico Madrid Bans Fan for Life After Real Madrid Derby Incident- 01/10/2024

Source : https://www.menara.ma/

Atletico Madrid has announced that they have permanently banned a fan involved in throwing objects onto the pitch during Sunday’s heated derby against Real Madrid. The match at the Estadio Metropolitano was paused for 15 minutes after home supporters threw items, including lighters, at Real Madrid players.

Atletico managed to secure a dramatic late equaliser in the 95th minute through Ángel Correa.

The club is continuing to collaborate with police to identify other culprits. “Our security department continues to work with the police to identify the rest of those involved, who will be permanently expelled as soon as they are located,” the club said in a statement.

Atletico emphasised its commitment to eradicating violence and upholding sporting values. “The club’s firm conviction to eradicate any form of violence and our defence of the values of sport are unquestionable. We will continue to work with all our resources with the aim of eliminating this type of behaviour,” they added.

In response to the incident, Atletico Madrid has revised its stadium rules, now prohibiting any clothing or accessories that obscure a person’s face to prevent identification.

VfB Stuttgart - Sparta Praha - 01/10/2024

Source : mail

Sparta


Stuttgart

ŠK Slovan Bratislava - Manchester City - 01/10/2024

Source : mail

Man City


Slovan

Shamrock Rovers - Apoel Nicosie - 03/10/2024

Source : mail

Arsenal FC - Paris SG - 01/10/2024

Source : Press

PSG

Bayer Leverkusen - AC Milan - 01/10/2024

Source : mail

Milan

FC Porto - Manchester United - 03/10/2024

Source : mail

Porto, the night before the game

FC Barcelona - BSC Young Boys - 01/10/2024

Source : mail

Boussia Dortmund - Celtic Glasgow - 01/10/2024

Source : Mail

Celtic

Schachtar Donetsk - Atalanta Bergamo - Played in Gelsenkirchen - 02/10/2024

Source : https://www.reviersport.de/

After the match, 30-40 Schalke hooligans attacked the Atalanta ultras. One of them was slightly injured. The police intervened with batons and pepper spray, putting the attackers to flight. Four Germans were arrested. They are all known to the authorities, especially one of them on file for his participation in sport-frei.

PAOK - Steaua Bucharest - 03/10/2024

Source : https://www.ekathimerini.com/news/

Greek police arrest eight Romanian soccer fans ahead of Europa League match

Greek authorities arrested eight Romanian soccer fans under fan violence laws on Thursday, after a knife and a retractable baton were found in the van they were traveling in ahead of a Europa League match.

The fans were in a convoy of two vans and a car heading to the northern port city of Thessaloniki for the match between Steaua Bucharest and Greek club PAOK when their vehicles were searched at the Promachonas border crossing between Bulgaria and Greece, police said.

They were arrested under stricter regulations introduced as part of a crackdown on fan violence that has plagued Greek soccer in particular, and sports events in the country in general, for decades.

The eight men, aged from 31 to 54, all had tickets to Thursday night’s match, police said. They were arrested on suspicion of violating weapons laws and resisting arrest, and were to appear in court on Friday.

Real Sociedad - RSC Anderlecht - 03/10/2024

Source : https://www.walfoot.be/

High-risk game: drastic measures to control Anderlecht supporters in Spain

The Ertzaintza and the Guardia Civil have classified the match as a high-risk event, prompting Donostia City Council to put in place extensive security measures throughout the city.

These stringent security measures have been prompted by the expected arrival of around 1,000 Anderlecht supporters. In order to guarantee safety, severe traffic restrictions will be in place around the stadium, with a complete closure of the roads between Pío XII and Anoeta from 4.30pm on match day.

This perimeter has been set up to control interaction between local residents and football fans, and to prevent possible confrontations.

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RSCA


















BCS before the game



BCS after the game


Anderlecht ultras & casuals

Slavia Praha - Ajax Amsterdam - 02/10/2024

Source : mail



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Source : https://www.nst.com.my/

Ajax fans clash with Prague police, attempt to break into stadium

Czech police detained several Ajax Amsterdam fans after a group of them tried to break into Slavia Prague's Eden Park stadium without tickets ahead of their Europa League match on Thursday.

"Policemen in heavy riot gear had to resolve the situation using coercive measures, and several fans were detained," police said on social media network X.

Earlier, several hundred fans gathered in Prague's Old Town Square and police found knives, baseball bats and batons left on site before the supporters took the underground to the stadium.

Several hundred police officers were deployed across the city to keep order before and after the match.

Athletic Bilbao - AZ Alkmaar - 03/10/2024

Source : mail

Netherlands: Stadium bans for NAC Breda hooligans - 03/10/2024

Source : https://headtopics.com/nl/

Following the incidents during their trip to Feyenoord on September 22, several NAC Breda hooligans were banned from the stadium, said the spokesperson for the Breda club.

Sturm Graz - FC Bruges - 02/10/2024

Source : https://www.lesoir.be/

Club Brugge fans once again give a Kühnen salute in the Champions League



Club Brugge's victory in the Champions League on the Sturm Graz pitch was marked by a shameful gesture seen in the visitors' stands.

On social networks, images are circulating where we see Bruges supporters giving the Kühnen salute, an alternative to the Hitler salute often used by the neo-Nazi movement. This gesture had already caused controversy during the Standard – Bruges match last August, resulting in the dissolution of the North Fanatics supporters group.

At the end of the match, the Bruges supporters also lit smoke bombs and threw them onto the pitch.

FC Copenhagen - Jagiellonia Białystok - 03/10/2024

Source : https://sport.goniec.pl/

After the match, a fight broke out between two groups of supporters. The police intervened and escorted the Poles to Copenhagen station. A Polish hooligan has been arrested.

FCK


Jagiellonia Białystok

Chelsea FC - KAA Gent - 03/10/2024

Source : https://www.mirror.co.uk/

Gent fans cause chaos as Stamford Bridge seats used for missiles during Chelsea defeat

The Metropolitan Police made several arrests as Gent fans caused chaos during their side's defeat to Chelsea.

On their way in to the stadium, they took over the streets around the stadium with flares and blocked the roads, bringing buses to a halt.

Once inside, they took part in sets of aggressive chanting against the Chelsea fans, with matters coming close to escalating. Gent fans then began to rip their seats from their mountings before using them as missiles.

Several ended up at the bottom of the stand they were being housed in. The visiting supporters caused further carnage when they ripped off the Bobby Tambling banner from its position in the upper tier.

Following the game, Gent issued a statement praising the majority of their fans for their support. But they also revealed that the Metropolitan Police had to make several arrests, with the Belgian club waiting for further information.

"Our twelfth man gave the best of himself at Stamford Bridge. For 90 minutes our team was cheered on by 3,000 Ghent throats, a fantastic experience! Everyone at KAA Gent - from players to management - would like to thank them for their great support," the statement read.

Gent

Five arrested as Anderlecht ultras target Real Sociedad fans with missiles, UEFA called out for lack of action - 03/10/2024

Source : https://www.football-espana.net/

A number of Anderlecht supporters targeted La Real fans with fragments of broken seats, having also broken the protective screen that had been set up in the away section. Marca have reported that five of those involved have been arrested.

La Real are furious about the incident, and also the fact that there was not a proper stoppage of proceedings. Club captain Mikel Oyarzabal called out UEFA when he spoke post-match.

FC Twente - Fenerbahçe SK - 03/10/2024

Source : https://www.ad.nl/

Incidents break out in the center of Enschede.