The arrested man, wanted for theft, told Italian authorities he had travelled to Milan to support Slovakia's hockey team at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.
A Slovak fugitive thief was arrested in Milan after checking into accommodation near the city to watch his national ice hockey team compete at the Winter Olympics, Italian police said on Friday.
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The 44-year-old man was wanted under an arrest warrant issued by the Bolzano court in 2010 for thefts in commercial establishments, the Carabinieri said in a statement.
Police tracked the man down on Wednesday morning after receiving an automatic alert from accommodation in the Baggio district on the outskirts of Milan when he checked in.
He was arrested at a campsite on Via Ajraghi and did not resist arrest, according to Italian media reports.
The fugitive told authorities he had travelled to Milan to support Slovakia's hockey team at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. He was taken to San Vittore prison to serve a remaining sentence of 11 months and seven days for property crimes.
Slovakia played Finland on Wednesday afternoon, but the arrested man could not attend as he was already in custody.
Slovakia won the Group B preliminary round match 4-1 at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, with Montreal Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky scoring twice.
Italian authorities have not ruled out that the man may have been unaware of the outstanding warrant against him, as he had been absent from Italy for many years, according to reports in Italian outlets.
The arrest came as Italian police increased security measures during the Olympic Games, with accommodation providers required to report guest details to authorities.