BUENOS AIRES: Seven Gimnasia players and five from Estudiantes have been banned from entering soccer grounds for two Argentine league championship matches after they were involved in a vicious brawl in a friendly.
The order comes from the government of the province of Buenos Aires, which has jurisdiction over Mar del Plata where the game took place and La Plata, the provincial capital where Estudiantes and Gimnasia are based.
Two coaches from Estudiantes and one from Gimnasia were also included in the ban, which was handed down by Aprevide (Agency for the Prevention of Violence in Sport).
Gimnasia were also ordered to play their next two home matches behind closed doors.
Fighting broke out as Sunday's match between the sides went into stoppage time with rival players punching and kicking each other during a brawl that lasted about three minutes. The match was abandoned.
Former Argentina midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron, president of Estudiantes, has separately fined his team's players and ordered them to do community service, the club said on its website (www.clubestudianteslp.comar).
The Argentine first division championship kicks off this weekend with 30 teams divided into two zones of 15. Estudiantes are in Zone A and Gimnasia Zone B with the zone winners meeting in the final on May 29.
Gimnasia visit Banfield and host promoted Patronato in the first two fixtures, while Estudiantes start at home to Lanus before playing at Atletico Rafaela.
There was also trouble in another pre-season friendly the previous weekend between Boca Juniors and arch-rivals River Plate.
Boca's Italy striker Dani Osvaldo and defender Daniel Diaz could face punishment from the Argentine government for inciting violence after making insulting gestures towards River fans during the friendly that was marred by 40 fouls and five red cards.
The government of President Mauricio Macri, a former Boca chairman, has vowed to eradicate violence by Argentine football hooligans.
Comments
Comments are closed.