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LEGA CALCIO: Tragic blow hits Italian soccer as another fan dies

Atalanta goalkeeper Ferdinando Coppola, front left, vies for the ball with AC Milan's Alessandro Nesta, front right, during their Italian Serie A match at the San Siro Stadium in Milan, Italy, on Sunday. PHOTO: AFP

Italian soccer suffered another tragic blow on Sunday as a Parma fan died after being run over by a bus on a weekend that saw AC Milan's Champions League hopes take another costly dent.

Matteo Bagnaresi was run over at a service station by a bus carrying Juventus fans after skirmishes broke out between rival sets of supporters.

It was the second time this season that a fan died at a service station, with Rome DJ Gabriele Sandri accidentally shot by a policeman back in November after clashes broke out between Juve and Lazio fans at a motorway rest stop.

That incident sparked violent protests around several grounds, with two matches being subsequently postponed.

Authorities decided to postpone the Juventus-Parma clash on Sunday in a bid to help avoid a repeat of November's ugly scenes.

On the pitch Milan crashed dismally 2-1 at home to Atalanta, leaving their hopes of snatching fourth place from Fiorentina, who lost 3-1 at Udinese, looking decidedly shaky.

The result was no less than the visitors to Milan's San Siro Stadium deserved as they completed a league double over the reigning European champions.

Sergio Floccari opened the scoring at the second attempt after Ferreira Pinto skipped down the right and crossed to the near post.

Floccari shook off his marker, veteran Paolo Maldini, and saw his first effort saved by Australian goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac, but he was alert enough to flick home the rebound from a tight angle on 32 minutes.

Ten minutes later and Atalanta doubled their lead after a brilliant piece of control from Floccari, who then fed Antonio Langella.

He kept his cool to flick the ball over the onrushing Massimo Oddo's lunging challenge and then calmly side-footed home.

Milan had the ball in the net early in the second half, but veteran Dutch midfielder Clarence Seedorf's effort was rightly ruled out for offside.

Atalanta should have made the game safe midway through the half, but after a fine break from Ferreira Pinto, Cristian Doni woefully skied his shot.

Massimo Ambrosini then had another Milan strike harshly ruled out for a foul on goalkeeper Ferdinando Coppola.

Maldini scored with a header five minutes from time and Andrea Pirlo had the chance to snatch a point for the hosts in the last minute after Ambrosini was felled in the box, but he saw his penalty saved by Coppola.
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