Argentina : Deportivo Maipú - Sportivo Belgrano - 07/11/2010

Source : larepublica.pe + nydailynews.com

Football fans invade field in Argentina, attack player with knife

Argentine football witnessed another embarrassing episode of violence last weekend, as several ‘fans’ - one armed with a knife - invaded their home field to fight the visiting team’s players during an Argentino A tournament game.

With their team losing 1-0, ten or so supporters of Deportivo Maipú charged onto the pitch and sent players from opposing side Sporting Belgrano scattering for safety after goalie Rodrigo Barucco was threatened with a knife.

Believe it or not, match referee Leopoldo Gorosito decided to resume play once order was restored and the Sporting Belgrano players reemerged from their locker room. Big mistake, since both teams started taking out their frustrations on each other during the run of play, prompting fans to act out again.

Gorosito finally decided enough was enough in the 88th minute, when Barucco was hit in the head by a rock from the stands.

Although nobody was seriously hurt this time, hooliganism has reached critical levels in Argentina, where violence and football go hand in hand.

Earlier this year, a fan of Newell’s Old Boys was murdered, reportedly by dissenting members of his own supporter’s group. During this summer’s World Cup, fans of rival teams Boca Juniors and Independiente who made the trip to South Africa clashed in the streets of Cape Town, resulting in the death of one Boca Juniors supporter.