Daily Times

BUENOS AIRES: An Argentine football fan died Monday after being pushed from a stand at a derby match by an angry crowd who thought he was a rival supporter, officials said. Emanuel Balbo, 22, fell five meters (17 feet) at his football team Belgrano’s stadium in the northern city of Cordoba on Saturday, video images showed. He had quarreled with a man whom he accused of being responsible for the death of Balbo’s brother in a traffic accident in 2012, the victim’s father Raul said on television. Witnesses said the man responded by shouting that Balbo was a disguised fan of Belgrano’s derby rivals in the match, Talleres. That prompted the crowd to attack Balbo, who fled down the steps before being pushed over the edge of the stand. He lay for two days with severe head injuries in hospital, where doctors declared him brain dead.

The club announced his death in a statement on Monday. The Argentine Football Association called for “those responsible for this inconceivable assault” to be brought to justice. It called in a statement for “the necessary measures so that incidents like this do not happen again in any Argentine football stadium.” Police commissioner Jorge Gomez said two people were arrested on Sunday and two more early Monday over the attack. Public prosecutor Liliana Sanchez called for the suspects to be charged with aggravated homicide. Non-government campaign group Let’s Save Football says that more than 40 people have been killed in football-related violence in Argentina since 2013. Away fans have been banned from league matches since that year in a bid to curb the violence.