Tragic Bus Attack on Italian Basketball Fans Claims Driver's Life

Mon Oct 20 2025 20:41:10 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

A driver has died following an attack on a bus carrying fans of the Pistoia Basket team in Italy. The incident has sparked outrage and calls for justice.

A bus driver was tragically killed when fans of the SRS Sebastiani Rieti allegedly threw stones at a coach transporting Pistoia Basket supporters, following a match that ended in victory for Pistoia. The attack occurred near Rieti, Italy, resulting in severe injuries to the driver, Raffaele Marianella. Italian authorities have condemned the violence and a police investigation is underway.

A bus driver has died after being hit when a coach carrying supporters of an Italian basketball team was attacked with stones, allegedly by rival fans.

Fans of Pistoia Basket were travelling on the highway near the town of Rieti, 80km (50 miles) north-east of Rome, when, according to local media, fans of SRS Sebastiani Rieti began throwing objects.

The fans were returning from a game that Pistoia won. A large stone smashed through the windscreen, striking Raffaele Marianella, 65, on the head. Although he was not driving at the time, he later succumbed to his injuries.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the attack as an unacceptable and insane act of violence, offering condolences to Marianella's family and affirming that the perpetrators would face justice.

Sports Minister Andrea Abodi labeled the assault as a shocking act by criminals who have turned into murderers and can never be called fans. Gianni Petrucci, president of Federbasket, echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the need for legal measures to address such violence.

A police investigation is actively underway to identify and apprehend those responsible for this tragic event.