Two members of an Argentine hooligan gang were shot dead outside Rosario Central’s club stadium on Saturday evening, local media reported. The press named the victims as the leader of Rosario Central’s barra brava, Andres “Pillin” Bracamonte, and another member of the group, Daniel “Rana” Atardo. The barras bravas are mafia-like organizations linked to several of the country’s top clubs and run by diehard fans.
Bracamonte, who had been banned by the courts from attending Rosario matches due to his history of violence, and Atardo were reportedly ambushed near the Gigante de Arroyito stadium, where their club lost 1-0 to San Lorenzo on Saturday, the 22nd day of the Argentine league. During his 25 years at the helm of Rosario’s barra brava, Bracamonte was the target of some 30 assassination attempts, according to media reports. On Friday, he appeared in court on a charge of gender-based violence, for which the prosecutor had requested two years’ imprisonment.
Bracamonte has also been charged in the past with extortion, criminal association and money laundering. Fights between fans are commonplace in Argentine soccer and have claimed more than 350 victims since the creation of the professional league in the late 1800s, according to the NGO Salvemos al Futbol (Save Football).