After what happened last Thursday in Rome, during the Europa League match against Eintracht Frankfurt , a new episode of clashes between fans away from the stadiums. It happened in the late afternoon today, after the Serie A match between Udinese and Venezia which ended 3-2 . The ultras of the black and whites from Friuli, together with those of Salzburg with whom they have been twinned for years, attacked a moving train near the Basiliano station, shortly after the train left from Udine, at 18:09. The aim was to take revenge on the Venezia fans who last October 30, during the first leg, had attacked and beaten some black and whites, just outside the lagoon station of Santa Lucia.

To stop the train, about fifty ultras, armed with truncheons and bars and wearing hoods, set fires on the tracks . However, when they saw that the driver seemed determined to continue, they got down onto the tracks, forcing him to brake desperately so as not to hit them. A stone-throwing immediately began towards the carriages occupied by the Venezia fans, but on board the convoy there were also numerous travellers not involved in the match, who were seized by panic. On the train - according to sources from the police force - there were about 300 Venezia fans in the first carriages and about 130 other travellers in the following ones. Along with the ultras, as always happens on trips deemed risky, there was company and railway police protection escort personnel.

As soon as the stones were thrown, many ultras from Veneto rushed off the train and violent clashes began with the Udinese and Salzburg fans, about fifty in all. The big brawl lasted just a few minutes because, alerted by colleagues on board, the colleagues from the Celere unit who until a few minutes earlier had escorted the Venetians to the Udine station arrived almost immediately as reinforcements . The role of the police helicopter was decisive, reaching and flying over the area immediately after receiving the SOS, lighting up the area and putting the attackers to flight, who fled on foot and then boarded some cars that were waiting for them with their engines running a short distance away.

The two most seriously injured - a Venetian and an Austrian - were rushed to the hospital: however, their lives are not in danger . Five other Salzburg fans and two Friulians suffered serious bruises, but refused to be taken to the hospital. They could not help but follow the officers to the police station, where they were temporarily stopped, awaiting the decisions of the magistrate on duty. An officer from the Udine police station and a colleague from the Venice police station also had to seek treatment at the emergency room. There had already been disturbances during the match, with smoke bombs being thrown onto the pitch and mutual threats. Further inflaming the spirits was a banner, displayed by the Venetians, mocking the Udine ultras, recalling the attack in Venice.

(Online Union)

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