Police on Monday arrested Gennaro De Tommaso, the infamous Napoli fan known as "Genny a' carogna" (Genny the Scumbag), along with four others for the trouble that hit the Italian Cup final at Rome's Stadio Olimpico on May 3. Napoli fans threw firecrackers and objects onto the pitch area and held up the start of play for nearly an hour after one Neapolitan supporter was shot in clashes with AS Roma fans before the game against Fiorentina. The shot fan, Ciro Esposito, died in hospital on June 25.
A 48-year-old AS Roma fan Daniele De Santis faces homicide charges for Esposito's death.
The chaos at Rome's Stadio Olimpico, which was on show to a live TV audience and tens of thousands of fans, including Premier Matteo Renzi, only subdued only after what some suspect was a negotiation between law-enforcement officials and Di Tommaso, the head of Napoli's hardcore 'ultra' fans.
The government and police denied negotiations took place to have the Napoli fans' consent for the game to go ahead, saying that authorities merely told fans that Esposito was not dead - at that time.
De Tommaso is accused, among other things, of breaching the law against showing material that is threatening or incites violence at a football game.
This seems to be a reference to the T-shirt De Tommaso wore as he sat perched atop a steel security barrier that called for the release of Catania fan Antonino Speziale, jailed for the 2007 manslaughter death of police officer Filippo Raciti at a derby with Palermo.
Napoli beat Fiorentina 3-1 in the Cup final.
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