A former member of Inter’s Curva Nord ultras group has opened up about the scenes that unfolded in the stands of the Nerazzurri’s Serie A match against Sampdoria on Saturday.
Speaking to Milan-based newspaper Corriere della Sera in an interview published in today’s print edition, the former member of the Nord ultras group who is now a regular matchgoing fan detailed the timeline as fans were forced out of the stands by ultras.
Scandalous scenes occurred during the second half of Inter’s victory over Sampdoria over the weekend.
Members of the Nord ultras group took the decision to vacate the Curva Nord stand after learning that a prominent member of their ranks, Vittoria Boiocchio, had been shot dead.
As a former Nord ultra who was at the match as a regular fan recollects, however, the ultras did not only leave themselves, but also acted in a very hostile manner towards other fans who were in the stand.
“We were in the square having our last beers, hearing the chants for Stankovic [legendary former Inter midfielder who is currently coach of Sampdoria],” he recalled.
“Everything is normal,” he went on. “We went in, and then at around 8:40 CET the banners started to be packed up.”
“There was no cheering or chants, a very serious event had taken place.”
“That was the moment in which the section of organized supporters began emptying out in response to the assassination of an historic leader of the ultras, Vittoria Boiocchi.”
“At that point they were all glued to their phones waiting for news.”
“So we understood what the ‘serious matter’ was,” he added.
“My friends and I were cheering, as were other fans [after the Nerazzurri’s opening goal],” the former ultras continued.
“Then they were all giving us dirty looks,” he said of the ultras in the stands, “they were screaming at us.”
After this point, halftime of the match arrived, and the unnamed fan explained that this is when the situation escalated.
“They screamed, ‘Let’s all leave now!'” he said.
“A man next to me said, ‘Are you kidding?’ and they replied ‘Do it or I’ll f*ck you up.'”
“A guy approached him to try and push him, but then he lost his balance and fell between the seats,” he explained.
“There was a moment of tension, the confusion was just about to start.”
“One of them came over, and we talked to the other one who gave orders,” the fan recalled.” He told us, ‘You all have to leave, otherwise they’ll come and beat you up, you’re taking a big risk.'”
“The leaders weren’t moving, they were sending the younger guys to come up to us and give orders,” he explained of the conduct of the Nord ultras.
“We knew that there were some guys who meant business though,” he continued, “and we knew that if we went against them then maybe later, somewhere without cameras, they might well try and beat us up, we’d be taking some punches.”
“We knew how it works,” the former ultra explained, “even if you don’t give a damn and just want to watch the match, you leave, because these are dangerous people.”
“Then we saw that there was an entrance left open and we went up to another section, to the third ring,” the fan explained of how the Curva Nord stand emptied out for the second half.
“By now the match was in its seventieth minute,” he looked back.
“After the third goal went in we celebrated. It was all a bit surreal, and totally unfair.”