27-Year-Old Footballer Arrested For Clubbing Ex-Partner To Death

A 27-year-old football player allegedly left his team on the eve of a match and flew to Bologna to wait for his former girlfriend at her apartment building.

It turns out that the suspect, identified as Giovanni Padovani was up to something. He waited for the female victim, identified as Alessandra Matteuzzi and ended up clubbing her to death using a hammer and a baseball bat.

The incident came weeks after the 56-year-old woman allegedly reportedly the 27-year-old soccer player for stalking.

Per reports, Matteuzzi was ambushed when she arrived at the lobby of her apartment building, police said.

She was on the phone talking to her sister at the time. The sister heard the screams of the 56-year-old woman.

"She got out of her car and started screaming, 'No Giovanni, no, I beg you, help,' the unnamed woman said. “I was on the phone. I immediately called the Carabinieri who arrived straight away.”

It was learned that Padovani and Matteuzzi were a couple for around a year. Unfortunately, they spent most of the time apart. The 27-year-old spent most of his time playing for Sicily while the woman resided in Bologna.

In January, there was allegedly an incident between them. Padovani reportedly smashed dishes and a light according to the deceased woman’s sister.

This eventually ended up in the couple breaking up. However, Padovani still bombarded Matteuzzi with messages and calls and this led the 56-year-old to report him for stalking.

But there was more to that. Padovani also went as far as sabotaging the woman’s vehicle, disconnecting her meter and even climbing up the balcony to her home.

"She was very afraid of him because he had become persistent and she didn't want to let him in the house," an unnamed neighbor said.

Padovani, a model and a former youth player at Napoli, was arrested on suspicion of aggravated murder and is currently in police custody.

Matteuzzi was still conscious when medics arrived. She eventually expired at a hospital due to head injuries.