Crossed ties, surprise names and sadness: A look into the ultras underworld [Bonus Article]

The world of Italian football has been gripped by yet another scandal, and this time it is a bit closer to home as it concerns the ultras from the two sides of the city: AC Milan's Curva Sud and Inter's Curva Nord.

The sad thing about covering calcio is that a dark cloud never seems to be far away. Many people say that in Italy the footballing world mirrors the political sphere in its constant conquest of drama, yet when there is a substantial overlap and criminality becomes involved any notion of triviality rightly vanishes.

The synopsis is as follows: it was announced on the morning of Monday 30 September that the Milan Public Prosecutor’s Office had arrested a number of key figures from Inter’s Curva Nord and Milan’s Curva Sud during Monday morning on charges of criminal association.

There is a lot of confusion - particularly and understandably from those not familiar with 'ultras culture' and its importance in Italy - regarding how and why such a situation can be allowed to manifest and what exactly the accusations are. We will try to break it down.

Reading time: About 15 minutes (3,000+ words)