There are 49 Daspo issued by the Varese Police Headquarters for the episodes of violence involving the ‘supporters’ of Varese and Naples on 4 and 14 May. The addressees of the provision are 24 ultras from Lombardy and 25 from Campania.
The press release from the Varese Police Headquarters
At the end of an articulated investigation, the Varese State Police closed the circle on the episodes of violence and guerrilla warfare committed on May 4 and 14, respectively, by the ultras fringes of the Varese and Neapolitan fans. Overall, for both episodes, 49 subjects were referred, for various reasons, to the Judicial Authorities; for the same subjects, the Varese Quaestor issued the same number of DA.Spo provisions: 24 against the Varese ultras and 25 against the Neapolitans.
In particular, on the occasion of the riots that occurred in Varese following the celebrations for the early victory of the Napoli football team in the Serie A championship, Digos launched accurate investigations in order to identify those responsible belonging to the ultras fringes of football fans and basketball of Varese and attributable to the groups “CUV19”, “SKANNATI”, “ARDITI” and “BLOOD & HONOUR VARESE” gravitating in this province.
Thanks to a careful reconstruction of the event carried out by the investigators, it was possible to outline the exact dynamics of the clashes, preceded in the previous days by a joint statement with which the aforementioned groups had declared their intent: “VARESE TIFA VARESE – CELEBRATIONS OF OTHER TEAMS IN OUR CITY ARE NOT WELCOME. ESPECIALLY THOSE FROM NAPLES”.
In fact, the rivalry between some extremist fringes of the Varese and Neapolitan fans is known, dating back to the events that occurred on the evening of 26 December 2018, near the “San Siro” stadium in Milan, before the start of the Inter vs Napoli match, when, following the clashes between a group of ultras from Inter and those from Napoli, Belardinelli Daniele died, known as “Dede”leader of the aforementioned “Blood&Honour Varese” group, which has always been twinned with the Inter fans.
The investigations therefore made it possible to identify 24 individuals who, for various reasons, were found to be responsible for the unrest in the city centre; the same have been referred, for various reasons, to the Judicial Authority for the violent conduct held during the celebrations of the Neapolitan fans.
In particular, in one of the most relevant events, a group of ultras surrounded a vehicle of fans damaging it in several parts and then physically attacked the driver and the passenger who were traveling together with a woman and two children. A different group of ultras had become the protagonist of a further attack against two women traveling in a car waving the flag of the Napoli team. There was also a minor on board. The Quaestor of Varese, through the Anti-Crime Division, analyzed the conduct of all the ultras who took part in the violent action against the Neapolitan fans who were cheering for their team’s victory. In addition to the referral, 24 “group DA.Spo” measures were therefore issued for as many subjects identified among the ultras fans, 4 of which lasting from 5 to 8 years and statute of limitations on the obligation to submit to the authority of the police because they repeat their behavior and have already been previously affected by similar measures and the remaining ones for a duration of 2 years.
On the following 14 May, in fact, a procession of about 50 cars and minivans took the A8 motorway towards Varese, coming from Milan. The vehicles traveled with altered license plates in order not to allow their identification. On board numerous fans belonging to the ultras fringes of Napoli Calcio who were supposed to go to the city of Monza, where the Monza-Naples football match was scheduled.
The ultras were instead directed towards the center of Varese, with the clear intention of carrying out striking and demonstrative gestures as an act of retaliation against the Varese ultras as a result of the episodes of violence that took place on the previous 4 May. An authentic showdown between the most extreme fringes of organized cheering, which would have seriously compromised the safety of the citizens of Varese. On the other hand, the reaction of the agents of the Varese Police Headquarters was prompt who realized, just in time, the danger in progress: crews of the police cars rushed hastily near the motorway junction, materially hindering the advance of the procession near via Gasparotto. The fans, many of whom with their faces distorted by balaclavas or scarves, given the impossibility of continuing their intentions, got out of the vehicles and tried to attack the operators of the steering wheels, throwing smoke bombs and paper bombs.
After a few minutes, however, they were forced to reverse direction and return to the highway, moving away from the city of Varese.
At this point all the personnel of the State Police were conveyed to the highway in order to block the troublemakers. Crews of the Traffic Police, the Police Headquarters and the Mobile Department succeeded in identifying the means of the procession and escorting them back towards Varese, this time however towards Piazza della Libertà.
The fans were then identified. Various material unequivocally suitable for offending was found and seized, both on board the vehicles and at the scene of the attack on the crews of the steering wheels. The Digos launched the first investigations aimed at identifying those responsible for the violent actions. Following the first reconstructions, the Anti-Crime Division proceeded to analyze the profiles of each individual identified, instructing the activity aimed at issuing preventive measures.
Subsequent extensive investigations made it possible to analytically reconstruct what happened.
In addition to the referral to the Judicial Authority for the crime of resisting a public official, the Police Commissioner therefore issued a further 25 “group DA.Spo” orders, this time against Neapolitan ultras fans, 5 of which were valid for 5 years with a statute of limitations obligation to report to the police for 2 years because, also in this case, some subjects had already been shot in the past as perpetrators of violent conduct in sporting contexts, even to the detriment of foreign fans.
All those affected by the police’s measures will therefore be prohibited from taking part in sporting events for the entire period of the prescribed prohibition.
The provisions were issued because, having assessed the extreme danger to public order and safety generated by the indiscriminate and violent reaction by all the ultras responsible, the intention is to prevent them from repeating similar violent conduct in the course of future sports competitions.