Moments of tension at the exit of the Pala Sgr in Santarcangelo, at the end of the basketball match. Fans from Imola and a fringe of fans from Rimini came into contact, and a fight almost came close. Smoke bombs flew, and some ‘hotheads’ tried to raise their hands on their rivals. The timely intervention of the Carabinieri and policemen involved in maintaining order around Viale della Resistenza. The uniforms stood between the two factions and managed, within a few minutes, to disperse the fans. No injuries were reported. The episode, which is now under the magnifying glass of Digos, happened the other evening after the basketball match between Andrea Costa Imola and Taranto, played by the Imola players on a neutral pitch due to the two rounds of disqualification inflicted by the sports judge at the ‘Pala Ruggi’. A match – later won by Andrea Costa – which promised to be very tense, due, apparently, to some very old disagreements between the supporters from Imola and those from Rimini. For this reason the match had been ‘attentive’ by the Gos (Security Operational Group), the body responsible for safety during sporting events, and by the provincial committee for public order.
The scuffles occurred at the end of the match, during the outflow phase of the fans. About fifty Andrea Costa supporters left the Pala Sgr and headed towards the car park. However, there were around twenty people from Rimini waiting for them: some of them, according to what emerged, were affiliated with the Curva Sud of Rimini Calcio. The intent was clear: to give life to a full-blown clash. Tensions immediately skyrocketed. But the reaction of the police, deployed to guard the Pala Sgr, was immediate. The two groups – around seventy people in total – were dispersed. There were no arrests, but the position of some ultras who took part in the episode is now being examined by the authorities. Video footage from surveillance cameras in the area has been acquired and it cannot be ruled out that complaints may be filed in the next few hours. Complaints that could also be accompanied by possible Daspo, should elements of a certain gravity emerge against the most agitated fans.
Lorenzo Muccioli
