Mafia, Ultras And Crime: How Serie A Giants Inter Milan Face Worries Outside Football

Inter Milan head into a huge week with the Champions League and Milan derby looming large over Sunday's trip to Monza, while the killing of a mobster revealed disturbing links between organised crime and the club's hardcore supporters. Italian champions Inter take on Monza hoping to maintain their early league lead but coach Simone Inzaghi is likely to rest some of his stars ahead of a much tougher trip to Manchester City in Europe's top club competition.

While everything looks rosy for Inter on the pitch the same cannot be said in the stands after the reputed heir of a powerful crime family was killed by one of the leaders of the club's hardcore "ultras".

Andrea Beretta, who himself had a long criminal record, stabbed to death Antonio Bellocco during an altercation outside a boxing gym in a Milan suburb last week.

Bellocco's death was a shock because of his reportedly high status within the 'Ndrangheta mafia, which has led to Beretta's family being placed under special surveillance by the police over fears of violent reprisals.

It also highlighted fears that mafia mobs were infiltrating ultra groups, attracted by the earnings some supporters organisations allegedly earn through illicit activities ranging from ticket touting to drug dealing.

Beretta took a leading role in the Curva Nord section of the San Siro after career criminal Vittorio Boiocchi was shot dead outside his home in October 2022.

Italian media widely reported at the time of his murder aged 69 that Boiocchi had bragged in wiretapped conversations about earning 80,000 euros ($88,000) a month through his position as ultra leader.

Wednesday's rematch of the 2023 final with City is the biggest of the revamped, eight-match league phase for Inter and comes days