Naples – The IV criminal section of the Court of Napoli, presided over by Judge Taglialatela, issued the sentences for the members of the so-called "Masseria Group", ultras of the Napoli "A" curve, involved in the clashes with Ajax fans during the Champions League match on 12 October 2022.
The decisions of the judging panel led to a series of acquittals, particularly on charges of criminal association, and to light sentences for some of the defendants.
The accusations and the acquittals
The five defendants—Gennaro Grosso, Carmine Della Cerra, Luigi Piacentile, Carmine Crispo, and Fabio Mascioletti—were accused of criminal conspiracy and of attacking and stabbing Dutch fans in downtown Naples on the evening of October 11, 2022, the eve of the match.
The judges acquitted all five of the most serious charge, that of criminal conspiracy, deeming the evidence to support this charge insufficient.
The sentences
Despite the acquittals, some of the defendants received light sentences for the attacks on Dutch supporters:
Gennaro Grosso, a well-known member of the "Masseria Group" and a former resigning member of the commission established by the City of Naples to commemorate Diego Armando Maradona, has been sentenced to one year and two months in prison, suspended, for the attack on two Dutch fans. The sentence is less than the three years requested by the Prosecutor's Office.
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Carmine Crispo and Fabio Mascioletti were sentenced to eight months in prison with a suspended sentence for the attack on Dutch fan Jan Arno, who suffered a wound that healed in 8 days and was hospitalized.
Luigi Piacentile and Carmine Della Cerra were instead acquitted of all the crimes charged.
The context
Clashes between Napoli and Ajax fans caused a stir in October 2022, reigniting the debate over violence in stadiums and surrounding streets. The "Gruppo Masseria," named after the Neapolitan neighborhood of the same name, has been in the spotlight for years for its role in Napoli's "A" bracket and its ties to the ultras scene.
Gennaro Grosso, in particular, had ended up in the spotlight for a photo taken in a hotel in Naples together with the president of Napoli, Aurelio De Laurentiis, and for his role in the commission for the statue of Maradona, from which he resigned in February 2021.
The reactions
The sentences have provoked mixed reactions. On the one hand, some have emphasized that the acquittals demonstrate the lack of concrete evidence for the charges of criminal conspiracy. On the other, some observers criticize the leniency of the sentences, believing them insufficient to deter football-related violence.
The case ends with a verdict that, while acquitting the main defendants of the most serious charges, leaves unanswered questions about the management of security at sporting events and the ultra phenomenon in Italy.
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