Bus Driver killed in Post-Game Attack, Basketball Community Mourns
Contigliano, Italy – A 65-year-old bus driver, Raffaele Marianella, was fatally struck by a stone thrown at the vehicle he was driving, shortly after it departed from Rieti following a basketball game on Sunday. The bus carried 45 fans of the Pistoia Basketball 1973 team, returning from a Series A2 match against the Sebastiani Basketball Rieti, played at the palasojourner arena.
According to initial reports, the bus was targeted near the Contigliano junction by individuals believed to be ultras of the Sebastiani Rieti team, who launched stones adn bricks at the vehicle. marianella, the second driver seated next to the primary driver, was hit in the face by a stone that shattered the windshield. Resuscitation attempts by emergency responders where unsuccessful, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Rieti Prosecutor’s Office has opened a file for voluntary homicide against unknown persons,and is currently interviewing witnesses,including approximately ten fans associated with the Rieti curva (supporters’ section). Investigators believe the ambush occurred after the bus left the city without a police escort,with attackers positioned along the highway.
The tragedy has prompted widespread condemnation and expressions of grief from across the Italian sporting world. Air Basket Italiangas Termoli released a statement expressing “deepest and sincere condolences” to the family, friends, and the entire Pistoia Basket 1973 community. “The world of basketball is a big family, and when one of its members suffers, everyone suffers,” the statement read.
Mayors Daniele Sinibaldi of Rieti and Alessandro Tomasi of Pistoia both denounced the violence as a senseless act with no place in sport, offering condolences to the victim’s family and those on board the bus. Air basket Termoli further emphasized the importance of “respect,unity and sporting culture” as a defense against violence.
