Autogrill attack, five Bari fans arrested for the assault on Avellino supporters

Bats, belts and gratuitous violence in the heart of the highway. Six months after the assault on the Murge Ovest service area, on the A14, the State Police arrested five Bari fans responsible for the attack on a group of Avellino supporters, which took place on November 12, 2023. The measures, carried out by the Bari Digos, were ordered by the investigating judge at the request of the Prosecutor's Office, and concern individuals between the ages of 37 and 49 accused of aggravated robbery and violence related to sporting events.

That day, the Irpinia fans were heading to Toast to follow their team in a Serie C match, when they were intercepted by a group of ultras from Bari, on their way back from San Severo after an away match of the amateur team Ideale Bari. The ambush was violent and premeditated: the cars of the Campania fans were surrounded and the passengers forced to flee, finding refuge inside the sales point of the service area. The attackers, many with their faces covered, chased them, hitting them repeatedly and stealing scarves and flags.

One of the suspects was placed under house arrest, while the others were required to report to the judicial police twice a day. The Police Commissioner is currently evaluating whether to issue further restrictive measures. The raid, aggravated by the sporting element, represents yet another dark page in the history of sick fandom, where violence erases all passion.