Argentine football fan jailed for threats over Di Maria return
The intimidation campaign was linked to a power struggle among Newell's Old Boys ultras over Angel Di Maria's return to rival club Rosario Central.
A football fan from Argentina has been sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for threatening Angel Di Maria in 2024, according to prosecutors. The incident took place in Rosario, where Di Maria was contemplating a return to his childhood club, Rosario Central. The defendant, Sergio Di Vanni, allegedly ordered acts of intimidation aimed at dissuading the former Argentina international from joining his rival club.
Di Vanni's threats included gunshots fired near Di Maria's property and the dumping of a pig's head with a bullet wound outside an estate agency run by his sister, along with a message threatening his daughter. Another suspect, Belen Gutierrez, received a three and a half year sentence after agreeing to a plea deal. The prosecutors claim the intimidation campaign was part of an internal power struggle among Newell's ultras.
Di Maria initially abandoned his plan to return to Argentina due to safety concerns for his family but later reversed his decision. Now 38, he has spent the last two seasons playing for Rosario Central, helping the club win the Argentine title in late 2025.
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- Argentine football fan jailed for threats over Di Maria return freemalaysiatoday.com
