A La Liga side Deportivo La Coruña supporter died after he was "injured when dozens of rival fans clashed near the stadium" before the club's match at Atlético Madrid on Sunday, according to the London GUARDIAN. The 43-year-old fan, who was not identified by name, "had to be fished out of the freezing Manzanares river near Atlético’s Vicente Calderón stadium and suffered cardiac arrest, hypothermia and head injuries, emergency services said." Hospital sources "later said he had died shortly after 2pm local time after failing to respond to efforts to revive him." Eleven other people were treated for "mostly minor injuries, including one female police officer with a fractured hand." Twenty people were "taken into custody and a total of 100 troublemakers had been identified, police said on their Twitter feed." Unconfirmed reports state that more than 200 people were involved in the "violent fight that took place at 9am local time when the buses taking supporters to the stadium parked in the area." Atlético President Enrique Cerezo said, "I want to say that this has nothing to do with football. These are radical groups who meet up and these are the consequences. I repeat that neither Atlético nor Deportivo have anything to do with these incidents, they are organized by radical groups who have their histories and their accounts to settle." Deportivo President Tino Fernández said clubs "needed to do more to make sure such incidents were not allowed to happen." He said, "It’s tragic news. I want to express our vehement opposition to violence" (GUARDIAN, 11/30). In Madrid, Juan Jiménez reported the Spanish Football League (LFP) attempted to "suspend Sunday's match" following violent incidents outside the stadium, but was "unable to locate any representatives" of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), which is the authority that "must issue the order to the match referee." LFP President Javier Tebas was "informed about the street battle raging outside the Vicente Calderón stadium" at 9:30am, "half an hour after it began, and was kept constantly informed of the situation." When he learned that a supporter had been rushed to hospital in critical condition, Tebas "attempted to have the fixture called off." Both clubs "agreed to suspend the match" but neither of the RFEF chiefs with the authority to issue the order -- President Ángel María Villar and Secretary General Jorge Pérez -- to the match referee could be contacted. Although the LFP had the "backing of Atlético and Deportivo to suspend the match, it lacks the authority to do so unilaterally" (AS, 11/30). The EFE reported the LFP's Anti-Violence Commission has "called an urgent meeting for Monday to analyze the incident on Sunday." Sources within Spain's Superior Sports Council (CSD) said that the meeting is scheduled for 10am at CSD headquarters, and added that Spain's Interior Ministry will continue "gathering information about what occurred" (EFE, 11/30).
PREVIOUS INCIDENTS: The EFE reported the death on Sunday "is added to eight others that have taken place in Spain since '82 as a result of violence in football." Additionally, two other fans have died from "being hit by flares while attending games" (EFE, 11/30).
