The Inter Milan Curva Nord Scandal: Money Over Loyalty, Distracting the Team Before the Champions League Final, With Zanetti Under Fire

A major scandal has erupted in Milan’s football scene, as local police and financial authorities recently arrested 19 leaders from Inter Milan's Curva Nord and AC Milan’s Curva Sud. This dramatic operation followed an extensive investigation that produced a detailed report of over 600 pages, outlining numerous illegal activities allegedly carried out by both fan organizations. While Inter Milan and AC Milan themselves are not under investigation at the moment, key individuals associated with both clubs are expected to be questioned as part of the inquiry, possibly to provide witness testimony or crucial information.

The Curva Nord, a group historically known for its intense support of Inter Milan, now faces a series of accusations, including violence, criminal damage, and endangering public safety. However, one of the most alarming allegations involves Curva Nord’s interference with Inter Milan's preparations for the Champions League final last season. Their involvement in these disruptive activities has drawn widespread criticism, as many fans and commentators argue that such behavior crosses an unacceptable line.

According to prosecutor Domenico Franco’s report, the Curva Nord sees the San Siro stadium, which Inter shares with AC Milan, as its own personal domain, where its leaders feel they can operate outside the law. The report claims that some leaders of the Curva Nord have turned their roles into profitable ventures, generating millions of euros annually by exploiting both the club and its fanbase. Their methods reportedly include pressuring fans to buy overpriced merchandise such as scarves and other goods, which they sell at the stadium for 20 to 30 euros each. Additionally, the Curva Nord is accused of extorting protection money from food and beer vendors around the stadium, as well as smuggling unregulated food products into the stadium to sell at inflated prices.

Perhaps the most lucrative of these activities involves ticket sales. The group is said to have acquired tickets from the club at minimal cost, sometimes even for free, and then resold them at prices up to ten times higher, pocketing the profit. An example cited by the report involves Inter Milan’s Champions League final against Manchester City. Due to limited ticket availability from UEFA, Inter was unable to provide the Curva Nord with the hundreds or even thousands of low-cost tickets it requested. Seeing the final as a prime moneymaking opportunity, the Curva Nord’s leaders reportedly pressured the club for tickets. When their demands were not met, tensions between the fan group and the club escalated.

The report claims that in the critical days leading up to the Champions League final, the Curva Nord began to exert pressure on Inter Milan’s coach, Simone Inzaghi. The fan leaders demanded that he side with them in their dispute with the club, further unsettling an already intense preparation period. The group allegedly reached out to key players like Javier Zanetti, Nicolò Barella, Hakan Çalhanoğlu, and Federico Dimarco, in an effort to sway the club's decision. This interference disrupted the team’s focus ahead of one of the most important matches in its history. The scandal has since ignited a firestorm on social media, with the majority of Inter Milan’s fanbase expressing outrage at the Curva Nord's actions.

Many Inter fans have defended the Curva Nord’s role in organizing Tifo displays and choreographed support, especially for important matches, acknowledging the time and resources that go into these efforts. There is an understanding that some level of fundraising is necessary for the group to continue these activities. However, the idea that the fan group would disrupt the team’s preparations for the Champions League final, simply to secure financial gain, has been met with widespread condemnation. As one popular sentiment expressed online states, “A fan organization should prioritize the team’s success. How can they justify harassing the coach and core players before such a historic game for profit?”

As the investigation unfolds, it could have significant repercussions for Inter Milan, particularly with regard to some of its high-profile figures. The club’s vice president, Javier Zanetti, has found himself in the spotlight amid allegations that he leaked confidential information to the Curva Nord. One of the arrested leaders, Federico, reportedly testified that after the death of former Curva Nord leader Boiocchi in October 2022, police surveillance of the group increased significantly. Inter Milan was asked to cooperate with the authorities, but it is alleged that Zanetti passed along sensitive details to the Curva Nord, further complicating the security situation. If these allegations hold up in court, Zanetti could face serious legal consequences and be subjected to intense public criticism.

Several key players from both Inter Milan and AC Milan are also expected to be questioned as part of the investigation. For AC Milan, team captain Davide Calabria is reportedly among those to be summoned. For Inter, former defender Milan Škriniar, who has since left the club to join Paris Saint-Germain, could also be implicated. While the investigation primarily concerns the Curva Nord, if the legal process drags on, there is a real risk that important players like Simone Inzaghi, Barella, Çalhanoğlu, and Dimarco could be called to testify, potentially disrupting Inter Milan’s current season preparations.

Former Inter Milan goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano, who has personal connections with several Curva Nord members, offered his perspective on the situation, stating, “Some of these guys I’ve known for years are now facing charges. The passion of the fans has been hijacked by the wrong people, and I don’t like where this is going. The club must draw a line and take action to prevent situations where extreme fans interfere with the team, such as what happened before the Champions League final.”

Massimo Moratti, former Inter Milan president and one of the most influential figures in the club’s history, expressed his dismay over the situation. “As a lifelong Inter fan, I am deeply saddened by what’s happening. I hope the club can find a way out of this mess. Some members of the club have been criticized by the authorities and the public, but in many ways, they were forced into a corner,” Moratti said. His comments reflect the broader concern within the club that certain individuals, including Zanetti, may have been coerced into actions they now regret.

The Curva Nord has long been known for its passionate support of Inter Milan, and its members have historically walked a fine line between fan enthusiasm and involvement in unofficial “gray market” activities. For years, their methods of raising funds through somewhat dubious means were tacitly accepted, as they rarely interfered with the club’s success on the pitch. However, as Italy’s football landscape undergoes a profound transformation, certain individuals have seemingly crossed a line, and the scandal now rocking Milan is the result.

The question now is whether Inter Milan can use this scandal as an opportunity to finally draw a red line with extreme fan groups like the Curva Nord. The club must balance the desire to maintain its loyal fanbase while ensuring that such groups no longer interfere with the team’s success or preparation. For many, this case represents a tipping point in the relationship between Italy’s top clubs and their ultra supporters.