Argentina authorities identify fans in fight video

Published on: 22 June 2018

MOSCOW -- MOSCOW -- Argentina's Ministry of Security on Friday identified the four fans who attacked two Croatian supporters after Argentina's loss to Croatia on Thursday in Russia and called for them to be "immediately detained" and deported home.

"The Ministry of Security of the nation, with Patricia Bullrich in charge, has identified the four Argentine fans who attacked the two Croatian citizens in the concourse of the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, where Argentina and Croatia played yesterday. We will be asking the Russian authorities to immediately detain them so they can be deported," the Ministry said via news release.

"Their names are Gabriel Alejandro Pardo, Rodrigo Matias Catalan, Leonardo Daniel Elia and Federico Eslejer. All of them were identified thanks to a video taken at the moment in which they violently attacked two fans of the Croatian team."

Croatia beat Argentina 3-0 in their Group D match, leaving the hopes of the twice world champions hanging by a thread.

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A video filmed during the match and circulated widely on social media shows a group of men in Argentina and Croatia team colours fighting in the stands. One Croatian supporter is punched and hit repeatedly while lying on the floor and then kicked in the head.

Argentina's director of Security and Football Matches, Guillermo Madero, is in Russia to collaborate with the local police during this World Cup.

According to the Ministry of Security, Madero has agreed to work together with the Russian authorities to "arrest and remove the aggressors immediately."

"Great work by our team for safe bleachers in Russia 2018 to identify the aggressors against the Croatians. Thanks for your commitment and hard work," Madero wrote via Twitter.

Bullrich also sent a similar message acknowledging the incident via social media.

"Elia, Pardo, Eslejer and Catalan are the four offenders identified in the video who savagely hit a Croatian citizen. We are asking the Russian authorities to detain and deport them. We signed an agreement to ensure the safety of the Argentines [here] and to be firm with those who break the law."

Football's governing body, FIFA, issued a statement expressing their disapproval of the fight.

"We are absolutely shocked by the images in question. FIFA firmly condemns the behaviour of these so-called fans," a FIFA spokesman said in written comments to Reuters, before promising to help identify the perpetrators.

FIFA and host nation Russia have vowed to hold a safe and welcoming World Cup despite concerns ahead of the tournament about hooliganism and the potential for fan violence.

Russia's Local Organising Committee, the embassies of Argentina and Croatia, and media officers for both teams did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Information from Reuters was used in this report.

Source: espn.co.uk

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