The ban on travel for AC Milan fans who are Lombardy residents for the game against Hellas Verona has been upheld, angering the AIMC.
As MilanNews recall, in recent days the AIMC (Association of Italian Milan Clubs) filed an appeal with the Veneto Regional Administrative Court regarding the travel ban for Milan fans residing in Lombardy, which was put in place for Sunday’s match against Verona.
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The appeal – filed by the association’s legal team – challenged not only the Verona Prefecture decree, but also related documents from the Police Headquarters, the CASMS (Italian Sports Management Committee) and the National Observatory on Sporting Events.
Among the points raised was a subordinate request to allow at least Cuore Rossonero card holders to attend the match at the Stadio Bentegodi, citing previous measures adopted in similar cases. Yet, the Veneto Regional Administrative Court rejected this appeal, much to the disappointment and anger of the AIMC.
‘Penalising entire fan bases’
Below is the statement from the association which makes clear how furious they are with the decision, which once again targets Milanisti in a season where there have been plenty of questionable decisions.
“Today, the President of the Veneto Regional Administrative Court rejected the AIMC’s appeal regarding the precautionary request by a single judge to suspend the effectiveness of the decree of the Prefect of Verona banning AC Milan fans residing in Lombardy from travelling to the Bentegodi for the match on Sunday 19 April.
“The Venice Regional Administrative Court held, with succinct reasons, that the interest in protecting public order prevailed over the interest of the fans in participating in the sporting event. The provision leaves great bitterness and dissatisfaction for the Venice Regional Administrative Court not having addressed the multiple complaints of illegitimacy of the act, advanced in fact and in law.
“In fact, the AIMC legal team, composed of lawyers Oreste Agosto, Massimo Falci and Giovanni Adami, submitted to the Regional Administrative Court the question of the Prefect’s incompetence to decree the ban on travelling to the Bentegodi, now attributed by law 401/89 to the Minister of the Interior and the violation of the investigation, as well as the lack of participation in the riots by AC Milan fans, and the possibility of granting a subordinate request to allow at least loyal fans to travel to away matches was not even considered.
“For some time now, we have witnessed a series of administrative justice measures aimed at hiding behind the legitimate protection of public order, but at the same time, by failing to address the various circumstances, they end up penalising entire fan bases.
“The ‘battle’ to assert the right of fans, at least loyal ones, to free movement and to participate freely in sporting competitions does not end here. The legal team and AIMC intend to assert the legal arguments to uphold the principle of legality, both in administrative courts and before the heads of the federations and sports governments.”
Maybe not the most popular opinion but if the Lombardians are continually gonna get treated as a bunch of criminals then they can just as well start act as some and torch the headquarters of those responsible for those decisions.
This simply can’t continue as its distorting the competition both sporting wise and financially. There might even be an EU case in the making here.
Again we have to ask. Why are Milan fans being targeted, but Inter fans, also from a club under the same investigation, not facing the same penalization?
Someone explain this to me.