Roma supporter Filippo Lombardi has been found not guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm to Liverpool fan Sean Cox before last season's Champions League semifinal, but was jailed for three years for "violent disorder."
Cox, 53, was left in critical condition following an attack outside Anfield on April 24.
Lombardi, 21, had denied wounding/inflicting grievous bodily harm following his arrest, and a jury took nine hours to deliver a not guilty verdict.
He did, however, admit a separate charge of violent disorder, for which he has been sentenced to three years in prison.
"There is no doubt in my mind that your purpose was to cause a violent clash with the Liverpool fans and that's demonstrated vividly in film footage," Recorder of Preston Judge Mark Brown said.
"The footage shows that you had an active role and your assertion in evidence and in your basis of plea that you were just looking for signs for away supporter sections and were suddenly confronted by Liverpool fans is, in my judgement, nonsense."
Cox, from Dunboyne in Ireland, has recently started a rehabilitation programme after he suffered a bleed on the brain as a result of the attack.
Daniele Sciusco, 29, admitted violent disorder and was jailed for two-and-a-half years in August, while Merseyside Police helped forces in Rome to arrest a 30-year-old man, who now faces extradition to the U.K. earlier this month.
Information from the Press Association was used in this report.