Eight arrested after Udinese fans ambush Venezia supporters' train
Around 50 Udinese supporters, including some from Austria, blocked the tracks at Basiliano, near Udine, where the home side had secured a 3-2 victory.
Udinese fans ambushed a train carrying Venezia supporters after their Serie A clash on 1 february, triggering a mass brawl that left several injured and resulted in eight arrests, Italian police confirmed on Sunday.
Around 50 Udinese supporters, including some from Austria, blocked the tracks at Basiliano, near Udine, where the home side had secured a 3-2 victory. Many wore face coverings and carried flares and smoke bombs as they forced a train carrying Venezia fans to stop. As soon as the train halted, dozens of Venezia supporters disembarked, leading to what police described as a "massive brawl" on the platform.
The violent clashes lasted only a few minutes before officers, supported by a police helicopter, intervened to restore order. Most Udinese supporters fled, while Venezia fans reboarded the train, police said in a statement.
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Eight people were arrested, including five Austrians, one Bosnian, and one Albanian. Several individuals suffered injuries, with two taken to Udine hospital, while three police officers were also hurt.
The train sustained damage from objects thrown at the carriages. Passengers not involved in the match were transferred to another train, while Venezia supporters moved to undamaged compartments. The train departed around 8:00pm (1900 GMT), less than two hours after the incident began.
Both Udinese and Venezia condemned the violence, extended their support to those injured, and pledged full cooperation with authorities. Udinese issued a strong statement, declaring that "those who tarnish the sport with violence are not fans."
Authorities had designated the fixture as high-risk following an earlier incident on 30 october, when Udinese fans were attacked near a train station after the reverse fixture in Venice.
Police had escorted around 1,200 Venezia fans to and from the stadium on saturday, with officers also stationed at Basiliano in anticipation of possible trouble. According to Italian media reports, the Udinese hooligans were backed by ultras from Austrian club Salzburg, with whom they have established links.
