Giampaolo Manca (foto: Twitter)
Former mafia boss Giampaolo Manca claims Marco van Basten was once targeted for kidnapping during his Milan career.
When Marco van Basten dominated Italian football with Milan, an extraordinary story was allegedly unfolding far away from the football pitch. According to former mafia boss Giampaolo Manca, the Dutch legend once became the target of a carefully planned kidnapping organised by one of Italy’s most feared criminals.
Manca claims he learned about the alleged plot directly from notorious gangster Renato Vallanzasca while both were serving prison sentences. Speaking to Corriere della Sera, Manca explained that football helped create a connection between them.
"We got along well because we both supported Milan," Manca said.
That relationship allegedly led to a shocking confession.
"He confessed to me that he had prepared a plan to kidnap Marco van Basten."
According to Manca, the criminal group had spent months studying the movements and routines of one of the world’s best players at the time, with the goal reportedly being to demand a huge ransom.
"They had been following his every move for a long time and observing his daily routine," Manca explained.
Then came the twist that makes the story almost unbelievable.
Despite lengthy preparations, Vallanzasca allegedly decided to abandon the operation shortly before it was supposed to happen.
The reason had nothing to do with police pressure or security concerns.
"He decided not to do it because he didn't want to help Inter," Manca claimed.
According to his version of events, Vallanzasca’s loyalty toward Milan prevented him from harming the club’s biggest star because weakening Van Basten could have helped city rivals Inter.
Vallanzasca remains one of the most infamous names in Italian criminal history. He was convicted for multiple robberies, kidnappings and murders, received several life sentences and spent more than five decades behind bars.
Whether every detail of the story can be independently confirmed remains unclear.
But if true, football history came unexpectedly close to looking very different.