Two brothers from Luxembourg, both originally from the Calabria region but currently residing in Luxembourg, were arrested on Tuesday in Italy in connection with the death of a 34-year-old man. The incident occurred late on Saturday outside the Il Castello nightclub in Sangineto, in the province of Cosenza, and followed a violent altercation.
The younger sibling is a member of Luxembourg's national rugby team, while the older is reported to work as a physiotherapist.
According to Italian media reports, including Corriere della Sera, the brothers born in 2002 and 2004 had entered the club without tickets. When a security guard drew attention to their lack of tickets, an argument ensued, escalating into violence outside the venue.
Antonio Perrotta, the 34-year-old victim and a father of four, was reportedly struck multiple times during the altercation. He was taken first to hospital in Cetraro and then transferred in critical condition to Cosenza, where he died several hours later.
Some uncertainty remains regarding Perrotta's involvement at the nightclub. While he ran a business in Fuscaldo where he lived, and was known to volunteer in Cosenza, some acquaintances say he also worked as a private security guard at night.
However, the nightclub's owners have denied that Perrotta was employed by the venue. They told Corriere della Sera that surveillance footage had been handed over to investigators and insisted that no violent incident took place inside the club or immediately in front of it.
The investigation, led by the public prosecutor's office in Paola, is ongoing and is making use of both CCTV footage and witness testimony gathered at the scene. According to Corriere della Sera, the two brothers had already purchased plane tickets and were preparing to leave Italy when they were detained.
Authorities are now working to clarify the precise circumstances of the assault and to determine each suspect's role. Italian news agency ADN Kronos reports that the brothers are facing charges of aggravated homicide, with investigators also considering the possibility that others may have been involved.
Efforts are focused on establishing the sequence of events that unfolded in the nightclub's car park.
Both brothers are presumed innocent at this stage of the proceedings.
