The mafia, a motorbike murder and Champions League final

A man linked to Italy’s most powerful mafia has confessed to taking part in the murder of the boss of ‘ultra’ fans at Milan’s top football club.

Inter Milan’s ‘ultras’ boss was killed so his deputy could take over drug dealing on the terraces at the San Siro stadium. Picture: MIguel Medina/AFP

A man linked to Italy’s most powerful mafia has confessed to taking part in the murder of the boss of “ultra” fans at Milan’s top football club, shedding light on mob involvement in sport.

Pietro Simoncini told police he drove the motorbike carrying the killer who fired five shots at Vittorio Boiocchi, the ultra leader at Inter Milan who ran drug dealing on the terraces at the club’s home, the San Siro stadium.

Simoncini, 41, was allegedly hired to take part in the 2022 drive-by killing outside Boiocchi’s home because of his mob credentials: he had been involved in a deadly feud in Calabria, southern Italy, between clans in the ‘Ndrangheta mafia.

The hit was ordered by Andrea Beretta, Boiocchi’s No 2 in the ranks of the ultra football hooligans at the club, who wanted to take over his lucrative drug rackets.

The murder was allegedly planned by Beretta and the ultras’ spokesman, Marco Ferdico. “We organised everything,” Beretta said. Ferdico is a Calabrian with mob connections living in Milan who knew Simoncini, the alleged motorbike driver, because he was dating his daughter. He allegedly paid him 15,000 euros ($26,500) to travel up from Calabria for the murder.

The killing remained unsolved for three years but a series of confessions has cracked the case, just as investigators lift the lid on the ultras’ drug dealing and protection rackets at the stadium.

This month Paolo Storari, a magistrate seeking jail sentences for 16 ultras from both Inter and its rival club, AC Milan, described the groups as “private militias” tolerated by club management.

Among those charged with drug offences are Luca Lucci, known as “The Bull”, a leader of the AC Milan ultras who once posed for photographs with Matteo Salvini, Italy’s hard-right deputy prime minister who is a fan of the club.

Ultra fans have proved useful to clubs since they lay on colourful displays at games, but they have demanded free tickets in return, which they often resell at profit. When their requests are ignored they have resorted to racist chanting which can lead to costly stadium bans for clubs.

The rackets run by Inter ultras risk becoming an embarrassment for the team as it prepares to play Paris Saint-Germain in Munich in the Champions League final tomorrow (Saturday).

Investigators have also arrested the man who allegedly shot Boiocchi while Simoncini drove the motorbike. Daniel D’Alessandro, 29, an Inter ultra, was tracked down to Bulgaria, where he was in hiding. He has a tear tattooed on his face, which criminals use to indicate they have killed.

The murder of Boiocchi was only one link between Inter ultras and the ‘Ndrangheta clan. Soon after Boiocchi’s death, Ferdico allegedly welcomed another man linked to the mafia, Antonio Bellocco, to help run the ultras. He had served nine years in jail for mafia crimes linked to the ‘Ndrangheta.

Soon the relationship between Bellocco and Beretta soured as the ultra boss accused him of trying to grab too large a share of the money they were making out of fans.

Last year Beretta fatally stabbed the Calabrian in a gym car park. He is in custody amid fears the Bellocco clan will try to kill him in revenge. He has agreed to reveal all he knows about the Inter fans’ rackets, as well as his decision to hire Simoncini and D’Alessandro to kill Boiocchi in 2022.

The Times