Sixteen hardcore supporters of Italian football giants Inter Milan and AC Milan were sentenced on Tuesday, June 17, to a combined 90 years in prison for crimes ranging from criminal conspiracy to murder, following an investigation into the illegal operations of ultra fan groups.
The fast-track trial, which began in March, concluded with all 16 defendants found guilty. The offences primarily revolved around illicit activities in and around the San Siro stadium on matchdays, including ticket scalping, unauthorized control of parking and concession sales, and collecting payments to allow entry to matches without valid tickets.
Among those sentenced was Andrea Beretta, a former leading figure in Inter’s “Curva Nord” ultra group, who received one of the heaviest penalties, 10 years, after being convicted of mafia-related criminal conspiracy and the murder of Antonio Bellocco, a fellow Inter ultra and member of the ‘Ndrangheta mafia. Beretta turned state’s witness after fatally stabbing Bellocco outside a boxing gym in a Milan suburb, an incident that precipitated the arrest of 19 leading Inter and Milan ultras in September.
Bellocco’s murder shocked many due to his mafia ties — he was a descendant of the powerful ‘Ndrangheta clan from Calabria. Beretta was also arrested in April in connection with the 2022 killing of another notorious ultra, Vittorio Boiocchi, who was shot dead outside his home at age 69 during a violent power struggle for control over Inter’s ultra ranks.
Beretta, alongside Marco Ferdico, who received an eight-year sentence, allegedly used Bellocco’s mafia influence to dominate the ultra scene, sidelining rival factions with far-right affiliations.
On the AC Milan side, Luca Lucci, the club’s top ultra, was sentenced to 10 years for conspiracy and orchestrating the 2019 attempted murder of rival supporter Enzo Anghinelli. His associate Daniele Cataldo, identified as the attacker in that incident, was handed an identical sentence.
The case was prosecuted under Italy’s “rito abbreviato”, a legal process allowing for a faster trial based solely on the prosecution’s evidence. This procedure shortens proceedings that otherwise could span several years.
The three remaining suspects, not included in the fast-track trial, are being tried separately. One of them is Francesco Lucci, brother of Luca Lucci, who frequently took leadership roles in the Milan ultra scene amid his sibling’s ongoing legal troubles, which include drug trafficking and the assault of an Inter fan who later died by suicide.
Neither Inter Milan nor AC Milan was implicated in the crimes. Both clubs were awarded €50,000 each as civil plaintiffs and injured parties in the trial.
