In Naples, a day of ultras violence and madness preceded the local team's clear victory (3-0) against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League and subsequent passage to the quarterfinals of the tournament. The streets of the historic center turned into a battlefield, with stores damaged, a police car set on fire, and new public transport buses with smashed windows. It was a true guerrilla warfare unleashed by the fans of Napoli and Eintracht, and a day to forget for the city. A deluge of controversy followed, with Minister Piantedosi and security management in the crosshairs. Many asked the Viminale chief to explain what went wrong, and while the Lega wants the German government to pay for the damage, the city's mayor Gaetano Manfredi spoke of "unacceptable scenes of devastation". Despite a ban on ticket sales to German residents in Frankfurt, some 600 fans arrived in Naples from Germany, arriving by train from Salerno and at the airport in Capodichino. The acts of violence began in the night between Tuesday and Wednesday and continued unabated until yesterday afternoon despite the hard work of about 1,000 law enforcement officers engaged in the city.
|