Violent rioting Ticino derby leaves several injured

SDA

12.10.2024 - 10:34

Riots broke out in Ambri on Friday evening on the sidelines of the ice hockey match between the Ambri-Piotta and Lugano clubs.
Riots broke out in Ambri on Friday evening on the sidelines of the ice hockey match between the Ambri-Piotta and Lugano clubs.
Keystone

Several people were injured in riots on the sidelines of the ice hockey match between Ambri-Piotta and Lugano on Friday. A pyrotechnic object was set off from the visitors' sector. This damaged a TV broadcasting van.

Keystone-SDA

The incident occurred in the stadium during the derby match shortly before 11 pm. Several people present suffered minor injuries, mainly to their hearing, as reported by the Ticino police on Saturday. They were treated by the ambulance service.

The game in the sold-out Gottardo Arena with over 6,700 spectators ended 2:1 for Ambri-Piotta. The club moved up to 2nd place in the National League. Lugano occupies 5th place.

Later that night, there were also riots in Rivera, south-east of Locarno. According to the police, around 20 people attacked each other in front of a public facility at around 01:30. Among them were fans of the two ice hockey clubs from the canton, Lugano and Ambri.

By the time several police patrols arrived, the situation had normalized. Several of those involved were no longer on site, according to the police.

The police launched an extensive investigation. They want to obtain witness statements and view video surveillance footage in order to identify all those involved, according to the statement. The police did not want to provide any further details for the time being.