Manchester City fans enjoying a quiet drink in the pub before a match were subjected to a ‘cowardly ambush’ by Italian hooligans which left a boy with a serious injury, a court heard.

Napoli fan Gianluca Del-Prato has been sent to prison for five months for his part in the incident at the Mary D’s pub in Beswick, before the game on October 17, which City won 2-1.

Del-Prato is a lawyer’s son who runs a youth football coaching business and ‘got caught up’ in the violence, his defence team said.

Manchester Crown Court heard how the atmosphere had been friendly in the pub that night, with young people and families present.

But police spotted a group of about eight youths all wearing black, who had their hoods up or were wearing hats and were moving against the flow of people walking to the Etihad Stadium.

After arriving at the pub the group launched a ‘totally unprovoked attack’ on City supporters there, prosecutor Andrea Lock said.

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They were swinging belts over their head, and one was seen with a rope and weight attached to it, with another swinging a cosh, a form of baton.

At least three people were injured, the court heard.

One of these was a 17-year-old boy attending the game with his father, who was struck by the cosh and suffered a serious head injury.

During the incident, which lasted about 30 seconds, Del-Prato did not have a weapon but was seen punching and kicking City fans.

Police were forced to pin him to the ground as he was resisting arrest.

Defending, Alison Gurden said: “He got caught up in something he should have just moved away from.”

She said that Del-Prato, 25, comes from a respectable family in Naples, and that his father is a lawyer.

(Image: Daily Mirror)

Del-Prato is a football coach and runs a business offering football coaching to youngsters, which Ms Gurden said is registered with the Italian Football Association.

He is also studying for a degree in sports science, Ms Gurden said.

Sentencing, Judge Martin Steiger QC said: “This was a cowardly ambush on innocent Manchester City fans.

“You were one of a group of Napoli fans, some of whom attacked with weapons.

“At least three people were injured, one of them seriously. He was struck in the head with some form of baton. When the police arrived you resisted arrest.

“I have no doubt that had the CCTV been available it would have been a very ugly sight indeed.”

Del-Prato, of Via Pietro Castellino, Napoli, previously pleaded guilty to one count of affray.