MILAN – Sixteen hardcore supporters of Italian football giants Inter Milan and AC Milan were sentenced to a combined 90 years in prison on Tuesday, following a fast-track trial that exposed a web of criminal activities involving mafia ties, murder, and violent power struggles among the clubs’ ultra groups.
The accused were found guilty of crimes ranging from criminal conspiracy and murder to illegal control of stadium operations, including ticket touting, extortion, and unauthorised entry schemes around the San Siro stadium. The trial, which began in March, used Italy’s rito abbreviato procedure to speed up sentencing.
One of the most severe sentences—10 years—was handed to Andrea Beretta, a former Inter ultra leader convicted of murdering fellow ultra and ‘Ndrangheta mobster Antonio Bellocco. Beretta, who turned state witness, stabbed Bellocco to death near a boxing gym just weeks before police arrested 19 leading figures from Inter and Milan’s ultra factions in September.
Bellocco’s murder sent shockwaves through Italy’s criminal underworld due to his ties to the powerful Calabrian ‘Ndrangheta mafia clan bearing his name. Beretta was also implicated in the 2022 killing of Inter’s notorious ultra boss, Vittorio Boiocchi, who was gunned down amid a leadership battle.
The trial revealed that Beretta and associate Marco Ferdico, who received an eight-year sentence, exploited Bellocco’s mafia connections to sideline older, far-right-affiliated hooligans and seize control of the “Curva Nord” section of San Siro.
On the AC Milan side, top ultra Luca Lucci was sentenced to 10 years for criminal conspiracy and his role in the 2019 attempted murder of rival fan Enzo Anghinelli. His deputy, Daniele Cataldo—found to be the attacker—was given an identical sentence.
The judicial probe portrayed the ultra groups not just as violent fan bases but as criminal enterprises running lucrative matchday operations under mafia-style rule, often clashing over dominance and control.
Three additional defendants are facing separate trials under standard procedures, including Luca Lucci’s brother, Francesco, who often led Milan’s ultras during Luca’s repeated brushes with the law for drug trafficking and other violent offences.
While neither Inter nor AC Milan were implicated in the crimes, both clubs were formally recognised as victims of the illegal activities and awarded €50,000 each as compensation.
The case has sparked new calls in Italy for tighter controls on ultra groups and a renewed focus on rooting out mafia influence from the country’s beloved football culture.
