Atalanta ultras have accused police of attacking them in an ambush “for no reason” and leaving many with head injuries after the Coppa Italia game with Fiorentina.
The thrilling 3-3 draw at the Stadio Franchi on Wednesday evening was a great advertisement for Italian football, with over 3,000 Atalanta supporters in the stadium.
There were no signs of crowd trouble during the game, but a group of Atalanta ultras claim they were beaten by police on their way home to Bergamo.
Atalanta ultras have accused police of attacking them in an ambush “for no reason” and leaving many with head injuries after the Coppa Italia game with Fiorentina.
The thrilling 3-3 draw at the Stadio Franchi on Wednesday evening was a great advertisement for Italian football, with over 3,000 Atalanta supporters in the stadium.
There were no signs of crowd trouble during the game, but a group of Atalanta ultras claim they were beaten by police on their way home to Bergamo.
“As we were about to drive on to the motorway, something happened that we are still struggling to comprehend,” wrote the ultras group on social media.
“We want to make clear there was no contact with the Viola fans, before or after the game, and it was a perfectly calm atmosphere.
“On the return journey, accompanied by a police escort, the caravan of almost 20 buses was separated and divided up by police to ‘check what was going on.’
“They separated out the first bus, making them open the doors and climbing aboard in full riot gear, indiscriminately hitting those seated inside and smashing windows after breaking down the back door as well.
“The Curva Nord Bergamo wants to remind everyone the work done over the years to avoid this sort of situation, where thanks to the chaos of the past, entirely pointless clashes broke out with the police.
“WE WANT THE TRUTH on what happened yesterday on that road. The Atalanta fans had no reason to cause trouble, so something in the organisation of the police did not work.”
Another statement from one of the other ultras groups claimed all 3,000 fans were then ordered to get out of their buses, photographed, insulted and searched, with no dangerous objects found.
“They were clearly trying to get us to react so they could start really pounding on us, but we kept calm and saw through it.”
There were also pictures of fans with blood coming from head wounds.