‘It Must Never Happen Again’: Atalanta Mourns Fan K!lled in Cl@sh

A 26-year-old Atalanta football fan was stabbed to death on Saturday night during a violent altercation with Inter Milan supporters in Bergamo, police have confirmed.

The tragic incident is the latest in a troubling series of football-related clashes in Italy.

According to Italy’s Carabinieri police, tensions flared inside a local pub when a group of Atalanta and Inter fans got into a heated argument.

The situation quickly escalated after one Inter supporter allegedly began chanting provocatively, said Carmelo Beringheli, head of the Carabinieri office in Bergamo.

The verbal exchange turned physical in a nearby street not far from Atalanta’s stadium. It was there, Beringheli explained, that an Inter supporter pulled out a knife and fatally stabbed the Atalanta fan.

Emergency services responded quickly, but despite their efforts, the young man succumbed to his injuries on the scene.

A teenage boy, believed to be in his late teens, was arrested in connection with the stabbing. He told investigators that he acted to protect his brother during the confrontation, Beringheli said.

On Sunday, Atalanta players and fans paid tribute to the victim during their Serie A match against Monza.

Before kickoff, a large banner was unfurled in the stands in memory of the fallen fan. The emotional tribute came just ahead of a resounding 4-0 victory for Atalanta.

“What happened to our fan must never happen again,” Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini told reporters after the match. “Football should be about passion, not violence.”

The club has not yet released an official statement regarding the incident.

Fan violence has been a persistent issue in Italian football. Just last month, 13 police officers were injured in violent clashes between Roma and Lazio supporters before the Rome derby.

In 2023, similar incidents made international headlines when fans from Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle United were stabbed in separate attacks in Milan ahead of Champions League matches.

Authorities are now under pressure to crack down harder on hooliganism and prevent future tragedies. Police say they are reviewing surveillance footage and speaking with witnesses to determine how the conflict spiraled so quickly out of control.

Meanwhile, the Atalanta community is mourning the loss of one of its own—an innocent football evening turned into a night of senseless violence.