Soccer: Serb thug 'Ivan the Terrible' deported

(ANSA) - Genoa, May 24 - The ringleader of Serbian hooligans who caused a Euro 2012 qualifier between Italy and Serbia in Genoa to be abandoned in October was released from jail and deported to Serbia on Tuesday. Ivan Bogdanov, 29, nicknamed 'Ivan the Terrible', received a prison term of three years, three months after a fast-track trial in March. It was not immediately clear whether he would now serve any jail time in his homeland. On March 8, three other hooligans who took part in the stadium riot received sentences ranging from two and a half to three years. They, too, are expected to be deported. Bogdanov has apologised for the incident. ''We never intended to hurt Italy, a country I like a lot. I'd never been here, but it's beautiful," he said. ''It was a protest against the Serbian football federation. I didn't even expect the match to be suspended''. Thanks largely to his distinctive tattoos, Bogdanov was swiftly identified as the imposing masked thug who sat on a pitch-line barrier making obscene gestures as he cut away a net erected to stop objects being thrown on the pitch amid scenes of mayhem on October 12. This enabled the Serb hooligans to halt proceedings soon after the delayed kickoff by throwing a flare into a section containing Italian fans and another towards Azzurri keeper Emiliano Viviano. Bogdanov was eventually arrested after being found in the trunk of a coach following clashes with police in Genoa that ran late into the night. He confirmed that much of the fans' anger was directed at keeper Vladimir Stojkovic, who pulled out of the team at the last minute after reported intimidation. Stojkovic let in three goals in Serbia's shock 3-1 defeat to Estonia days before, but Bogdanov said the fans were more angry about him ''betraying'' Red Star Belgrade by leaving them for city rivals Partizan. Because of the riot, Italy were awarded a 3-0 win by UEFA, giving them 10 points from four games in qualifying Group C, three clear of second-placed Slovenia.