Tragedy in Rieti: a bus carrying Pistoia Basket 2000 fans is attacked, killing a driver. Three Rieti ultras arrested.

A stone-throwing attack on a bus carrying Pistoia fans killed a sixty-five-year-old driver. State Police arrested three Real Sebastiani Rieti ultras, accused of involvement in the attack.

An evening of sport turned into tragedy in Rieti, dove a Pistoia Basket 2000 fans' bus attacked cost his life to Raffaele Marianella, A sixty-five-year-old bus driver was fatally struck by a rock thrown through the windshield. The incident occurred during the night between the 19 and 20 October 2025, at the end of the championship match A2 Series between Real Sebastiani Rieti e Pistoia Basketball 2000, disputed at PalaSojourner and won by the Tuscan team.

The match and the tension in the stands

The meeting, as reported by Rieti Police Headquarters, was played regularly, but already during the match there were moments of tension. A group of Rieti ultras had attempted to reach the away supporters, but were stopped by the security device set up for public order.
After the match, the situation escalated again outside the arena: some local fans attempted to approach the Pistoia fans as they were leaving the stadium, but once again, police intervention prevented direct contact between the two sets of fans.

The ambush on the highway

To ensure the safety of Tuscan fans, a bus escort service of Pistoia Basket 2000, with a unit dedicated to preventive route remediation leaving the capital city of Rieti.
However, around the kilometer 5+800 of the highway, about one hundred meters from the junction for Contigliano, the bus was suddenly hit by a violent stone throwing coming from a group of people hidden among the vegetation, in a poorly lit area.
One of the boulders, of considerable dimensions, broke the front windshield, hitting the second driver head-on, Raffaele Marianella, 65, who suffered very serious injuries, which proved fatal within minutes. Another rock shattered the side window, but no further injuries were reported to the passengers.

The escape and arrest of the suspects

The escort service officers immediately noticed some people misrepresented who were running away, climbing into some cars parked under an overpass. One of the cars was stuck in place by the men of State Police, who accompanied the occupants to the police station for identification and routine checks.
Le investigations, continued without stopping throughout the night and the following day, led to the identification of several people involved in fact. For three of them it emerged serious indications of guilt in relation to the murder of Marianella.

The three Rieti ultras arrested

At the disposal of the Public Prosecutor's Office at the Court of Rieti, the three ultras, all traceable back to the organised groups of the Real Sebastiani Rieti, They were subjected to arrest on suspicion of crime and transferred to the Rieti Prison.
The judicial authority will now have to evaluate the validation of the arrest and the location of the three suspects, while investigations continue to identify any other accomplices or witnesses to the assault.

An absurd death that shocks sport

The death of Raffaele Marianella has profoundly shocked the city of Rieti and the world of sport, casting a shadow over an event that should have been a simple sporting celebration.
The authorities have expressed condolences to the victim's family and firmly condemned the episode, calling it "a vile and unacceptable act that has nothing to do with sporting passion."
Meanwhile, the Italian Basketball Federation and the companies involved have expressed solidarity with the victim's family and called for a urgent reflection on the phenomenon of violence in stadiums and arenas.

IL FERMO OF THE THREE ULTRAS FROM REATINO