Clashes between Roma and Napoli fans in the Badia al Pino service area (Arezzo) on the Autostrada del Sole: a wounded man was taken to the Arezzo hospital. It is a Roma supporter who would have been slightly injured by a stab weapon. There was no intervention for him by the doctors sent by 118: from what he learned he would have gone independently to the San Donato hospital in Arezzo.
“The investigative activities are already underway – so the Arezzo police headquarters – aimed at identifying those responsible for the violence, also by viewing the acquired video material, on the basis of which the judicial authority will be informed and the issue of disqualification measures within the competence of the Quaestor”. According to reports from the Arezzo police headquarters, there were around 350 Neapolitan fans heading to Genoa, who stopped in the Badia al Pino service area heading north in the afternoon. The personnel of the police force specially prepared with a service order from the Arezzo quaestor intervened by closing the entrance to the service area to prevent a group of Roma supporters of whom news had been received, in transit along the same itinerary, could come into contact with the Neapolitan fans. In the meantime, continues the police headquarters, other agents who were in the Arno service area have been brought together on the spot. The Roma fans in transit, he explains, “most likely warned of the presence of the Neapolitans, slowed down until they stopped at the rest area while a part of the Napoli supporters positioned themselves along the fence, began a dense throwing of blunt objects towards the cars on the roadway”. Both groups moved in a few moments to the autogrill exit and came into contact for a few minutes; a Roma supporter was stabbed and is in yellow code. The Roma supporters left after about 15 minutes, while the Neapolitan fans remained in the service area and were subsequently escorted to Genoa by police force personnel. The highway was closed for about 50 minutes northbound.
In other videos posted on the net, groups of fans are seen, always misrepresented and dressed in black, stationed on the edge of the service area and throwing sticks and tear gas from one side of the motorway to the other and at cars passing by on the A1 . In the images, groups of ultras armed with sticks can be seen wandering around the petrol stations and among the motorists of the motorway service station
The police, to avert further dangerous situations, also blocked the motorway traffic, which was then resumed. The identification of Roma and Neapolitan fans is underway. “The police are actively working to identify as soon as possible those responsible for an act that endangered traffic safety and caused enormous inconvenience in a fundamental artery for our road network”: so the prosecutor of the Republic of Arezzo Roberto Reds.
Harsh statement by sports minister Abodi. “There is an abysmal difference between fans who go to the stadium, at home or away, to sing, hug each other, rejoice or suffer for their team and the criminals who clash in a motorway service station, creating problems for decent people “. The minister of sport and youth, Andrea Abodi, intervenes harshly – with a statement to Ansa – on the clashes that took place on the A1. “There is nothing worse than defining the latter as fans, there is no greater mistake than making a bundle of all the grass. In 2023, those who make mistakes pay and I hope it will also happen for the hooligans who clashed today on the A1″.
According to police sources, inside the Badia al Pino service area, heading north, there were minivans with Napoli fans heading to Genoa where the team from Campania played against Sampdoria. Traffic police and carabinieri patrols were stationed in the area and closed off access to the area. Vehicles with Roma fans traveled on the motorway, heading to Milan for tonight’s match against Milan. The Neapolitan fans, from the service area, would then have thrown objects at the cars of the Romanisti in transit. The latter allegedly stopped on the highway to respond to the launches and scuffles broke out.
The clashes between Roma and Neapolitan fans took place in the same service area, Badia al Pino, where he was mortally wounded Gabriele Sandri, supporter of Lazio. The murder took place on November 11, 2007: agent Luigi Spaccarotella fired a pistol shot on the A1 motorway near Badia al Pino (Arezzo) in an attempt to disperse the clashes between Juventus and Lazio fans. The blow reached the 26-year-old Gabriele Sandri who was in the service area waiting for some friends to reach Milan for the Inter-Lazio match.
According to police sources, the people were traced back to the vehicles under guard. Meanwhile, the Digos of Arezzo is examining the footage from the video surveillance cameras to identify the people involved in the clashes and attribute responsibility for what happened.
#Clashes in A1, fans in black sweatshirts and hoods, armed with sticks, launch rockets from one side of the motorway to the other at the Badia al Pino service area (Arezzo) @TgrRai pic.twitter.com/EsGCOZ0AQk
— Tgr Rai Toscana (@TgrRaiToscana) January 8, 2023
From some videos on the net you can see the moment in which the two Roma and Napoli fans come into contact right in the autogrill, near the petrol stations. Fans move in groups, wearing black hoodies and jackets, many are disguised with hoods and scarves. Screams and the sound of stones being thrown and tear gas canisters are heard. In another video posted online by a motorist, groups of fans are seen, always with their faces covered and dressed in black, running in groups along the roadway of the motorway between Monte San Savino and Arezzo. We can also distinguish the fumes and the glow of the tear gas thrown by the ultras.
In other videos posted on the net, groups of fans are seen, always misrepresented and dressed in black, stationed on the edge of the service area and throwing sticks and tear gas from one side of the motorway to the other and at cars passing by on the A1 . In the images, groups of ultras armed with sticks can be seen wandering around the petrol stations and among the motorists of the motorway service station.
“When I arrived the worst was over but there were broken vases and objects on the floor which testified to what had happened. We then proceeded to clean up with our colleagues. However, there was a lot of fear”, says one of the restaurant workers at the service area of Badia al Pino east.
Source: Ansa
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