While during these weeks there has been talk about the incidents with the Athletic Front and the ultras of Athletic Club In Rome, Italian football has been shaken by a vast police operation that has exposed the deep infiltration of organized crime in the ultra groups of the two Milan clubs: the Inter and the AC Milan.
The Italian security forces, in collaboration with the anti-mafia prosecutor’s office, carried out a series of arrests that revealed the nature of these ultra groups as authentic criminal organizations, with direct links to the Calabrian mafia, the ““Ndrangheta”. The operation has not only exposed ticket scalping and extortion at the San Siro, but has also shed light on the dangerous relationship between football and organized crime in Italy.
The ultras and the mafia: a control pact
Ultra groups are traditionally groups full of passion for their team, with chants and tifos that delight the viewer, but unfortunately they are also violent and criminal organizations, as this operation demonstrates. In particular, the North Curve (Inter) and the South Bend (Milan) had forged a non-aggression pact to control the lucrative market for the resale of tickets and products related to their teams in San Siro.
In the case of Inter, the authorities confirmed that the North Curve He maintained close relations with the ‘Ndrangheta, considered one of the most dangerous criminal organizations in the world. This pact allowed the ultras to run illegal businesses in and around the stadium without interference, turning the San Siro into a territory outside of legal control. Police wiretapping revealed the existence of a situation of “omertà” in which no one spoke for fear of reprisals, a characteristic structure of mafia control of the territory.
The murder that set off alarms
One of the key points that precipitated the operation was the murder of Antonio Belloccomember of a powerful Calabrian mafia family, for Andrea Berettaleader of the North Curve of Inter. This homicide occurred on September 4, 2023, in the parking lot of a gym on the outskirts of Milan, which was captured by security cameras. Beretta attacked Bellocco with knives inside his car, triggering an investigation that revealed an intense rivalry for control of the illicit businesses that operated around the stadium.
Bellocco, who had arrived in Milan from Calabria with a mafia conviction behind him, and was part of the powerful Bellocco family. His death was not a simple settling of scores between ultras. This murder showed how disputes over control of the stadium and its lucrative businesses were deeply intertwined with the power structures of the Calabrian mafia.
In addition to the murder of Bellocco, the operation also revealed the extensive extortion network that the ultras maintained around the San Siro stadium. Andrea Beretta, known for his brutality, had already been convicted in the past for attacking a street vendor, breaking his leg and shouting racist insults at him. This type of violence was common among the ultras, who used intimidation to impose their control over street vendors and other businesses, demanding the “pizzo”, the characteristic tax of the Italian mafia.
The extortion also extended to the resale of season tickets in the North Curve, a million-dollar business in which the ultra leaders demanded control of the tickets left by rival groups such as the “Irriducibili”, an ultra subgroup of Inter. Pressuring the coach and directors of the Inter club to get tickets for the final of the UEFA Champions League 2023 in Istanbul. And despite the initial resistance of some club directors, they were finally granted the 40 tickets they demanded, showing once again the ability of the ultras to impose their will on the management of the team.
Relationships with players and coach
One of the most disturbing aspects of the investigation is the revelation of the connections between the ultras and members of Inter. In several wiretaps, it is shown how some leaders of the North Curve They maintained direct contact with the Inter coach, Simone Inzaghiwho was pressured to obtain tickets for the final of the Champions League. They even met with the defender Milan Skriniarin an attempt to influence their professional future, which reveals the audacity of these groups in trying to intervene in the transfer market and in the club’s decisions.
Although neither Inter nor Milan are officially involved in the investigation, the police have indicated that the Inter club was in a “submissive situation” towards the North Curve. This control not only involved obtaining tickets and season tickets, but also the imposition of his authority over the team’s decisions, to the point of demanding improvements in sporting performance.
The South Bend of Milan: a similar story
Although the links with the Calabrian mafia are not as documented in the case of the South Bend of Milan, the activities of this ultra group are no less violent. Led by Luca Lucciknown as “el Toro”, the Milan ultras also maintained connections with organized crime, mainly through drug trafficking. Lucci had already been convicted several times, including a four-year sentence for punching a fan in a derby in 2009, causing the victim to lose an eye and, years later, commit suicide.
The South Bend It functioned as an organized band, with a well-defined identity. Its members, dressed in black and with their faces covered, were organized around the group “Los Bandidos”, which also extorted sellers and managed the resale of tickets. Lucci’s influence even extended to circles of power and celebrities, which became evident when photos of him with the politician were released. Matteo Salvinivice president of the Italian government.
Rome and Lazio involved
The investigation has not only put Milan ultras under the microscope, but could also have implications for other ultra groups in the country. According to the Dagospia website, the relations between the Inter ultras and those of the lazio They could open a new research front in Rome. It has been pointed out that these connections could reveal dangerous links between Roman ultras and organized crime. There has even been speculation about the possibility that these ties are related to recent movements in the club’s management, such as the unexpected dismissal of Daniele De Rossi and the resignation of Lina Souloukougeneral director of the Rome.