Three “ultra” fans of an Italian basketball team were arrested after the death of a bus driver transporting rival fans, Italian police said on Monday (21).
The victim, Raffaele Marianella, 65, was the co-pilot of the bus taking Pistoia Basket 2000 fans back home, after a match against RSR Sebastiani Rieti, in Serie A2, the Italian second division.
He died after being hit by a large rock that went through the vehicle’s windshield.
Police reported that the three detained suspects are members of an “ultra” Sebastiani Rieti group and are being held in custody. They were identified after agents escorting the bus intercepted another car with fans near the site of the attack, in central Italy.
The episode reignited the debate about violence between organized fans, a problem more often associated with football. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the attack, calling it “a senseless act”.
(Writing by Keith Weir, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
