×

Our award-winning reporting has moved

Context provides news and analysis on three of the world’s most critical issues:

climate change, the impact of technology on society, and inclusive economies.

Argentine hooligan who posed as Swiss fan arrested at World Cup

by Reuters
Saturday, 5 July 2014 22:55 GMT

BRASILIA, July 5 (Reuters) - An Argentine hooligan who entered Brazil illegally and appeared at World Cup games disguised as a Swiss fan was arrested on Saturday at the Argentina-Belgium game, Brazilian officials said.

Pablo Alvarez, leader of the fan club of Argentina's Independiente soccer club, was on a list of 2,000 Argentine fans with a record of violence at soccer matches who were banned from entering Brazil for the World Cup.

Alvarez defied police by attending Argentina games dressed as a Swiss fan and then posting photos of himself on Facebook, face painted red-and-white and wearing a Switzerland scarf.

Argentine police officers monitoring their country's fans at Saturday's game spotted him with binoculars wearing a shirt of Brazil's most popular soccer club Flamengo and alerted Brazilian police who arrested him pending deportation to Argentina.

So far 40 Argentine fans with records of hooliganism as members of Argentina's violence-prone "barras bravas" fan clubs have been deported thanks to enhanced police cooperation during the World Cup that has led to the capture of five foreign criminals, Brazil's federal police said.

Some 15,000 Argentina fans watched their team led by star forward Lionel Messi defeat Belgium 1-0 in Brasilia and go through to the semifinals.

After the game, Argentine fans almost came to blows with Brazilian fans who taunted them outside the stadium by chanting that their soccer legend Pelé was greater than Argentina's idol Diego Maradona. Riot police separated them. (Reporting by Anthony Boadle; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

-->