Italian court jails 16 Milan ultras in mafia-linked trial

An Italian judge on Tuesday handed prison sentences to 16 hardline “ultra” football supporters of Inter Milan and AC Milan, following a sweeping investigation into organized crime links involving murder, extortion, and mafia association. 

The sentences range from two to 10 years.

The convictions came after a closed-door, fast-track trial held at a high-security court attached to Milan’s San Vittore prison. The proceedings followed the arrests of 19 individuals last September, after a joint investigation by Milan prosecutors and Italy’s national anti-mafia prosecutor’s office.

A separate trial involving three additional AC Milan ultras is expected to conclude with a verdict on June 19.

Prosecutors alleged that the ultra groups had evolved into “private militias,” exerting criminal influence well beyond football stadiums. The groups were said to be infiltrated by the powerful ‘Ndrangheta mafia and far-right extremist networks.

Roughly 200 AC Milan fans gathered outside the courthouse in a show of support for their fellow ultras ahead of the ruling.

Among those sentenced was Andrea Beretta, former leader of Inter Milan’s ultras, who received a 10-year term. He confessed to the September killing of Antonio Bellocco, a senior ‘Ndrangheta figure and fellow Inter supporter. After his arrest, Beretta turned state witness, cooperating with investigators—a move that contributed to a lighter sentence than is typical for murder.

Luca Lucci, the long-time head of AC Milan’s ultras and a suspect in a separate international drug trafficking case, was sentenced to 10 years in prison and four years’ probation for attempted murder and criminal association.

During the trial, defence attorneys dismissed the charges as “a house of cards,” but the judge proceeded with convictions under Italy’s fast-track system, which permits reduced sentences—by up to a third—in exchange for a waiver of a full trial with witnesses.

In addition to prison terms, Judge Rossana Mongiardo ordered each defendant to pay €50,000 ($58,000) to Inter and AC Milan, and €20,000 to Italy’s Serie A league. Further civil damages will be determined separately.

Prosecutors revealed that the convicted ultras, in collaboration with the ‘Ndrangheta, operated illegal schemes involving match ticket distribution, protection rackets on vendors, and control of parking operations around the San Siro stadium, shared by both clubs.

Investigators warned that the Milan case is part of a broader pattern across Italy, where criminal syndicates and far-right groups have increasingly sought to co-opt violent ultra fan organizations for profit and power.

Authorities noted similar developments in Greece, where police have arrested dozens of people in probes linking violent football supporters to organized criminal gangs.