Vélez Sarsfield President Raúl Gámez Says Argentina Losing Battle With Hooligans

The president of one of Argentina’s top clubs said that a "culture of football hooliganism has become entrenched in Argentina and there is no political will to eradicate it as there was in England," according to Rex Gowar of REUTERS. The violence of barras bravas, hooligan gangs, "is a stain on Argentine football, causing hundreds of deaths and a present ban on away fans has failed to curb it." Vélez Sarsfield President Raúl Gámez: "Here the battle is lost. ... Politicians need (barras) and use them as violent manual labor. Club directors want to get them off their backs, we make pacts with the barras, there’s no option because there are no guarantees (for our safety)." Gámez was referring to the practice of "sending thugs to cause trouble at political rallies and barras putting pressure on clubs and players to pay what amounts to protection money" (REUTERS, 4/20).