Madrid, Nov 30 (IANS) A supporter of Spanish football club Deportivo la Coruna was critically injured Sunday in a fight between followers of his side and Atletico Madrid outside Atletico’s Vicente Calderon Stadium.
Eleven other people were injured in the fight with three reported to be suffering from stab wounds, while police made two arrests and identified 30 people involved in the fight, reports Xinhua.
The supporter, who was reported to be around 40 years old, received a blow on the head in the fight between two sets of fan; Deportivo’s Riazor Blues and Atletico’s Frente Atletico, before being thrown into the River Manzanares, which runs alongside the ground.
He was under water for around eight minutes before being brought to the surface by divers and taken to Hospital Clinic in Madrid, suffering from his injuries and also from hypothermia.
The hospital reported the supporter to be “clinically dead,” around half an hour before the match was due to kick off at mid-day local time, although this was later corrected.
In 1998 Aitor Zabaleta, a Real Sociedad supporter was stabbed to death outside the ground before a European game in 1998.
Atletico Madrid issued a communique condemning the incident, but despite the tragedy the game went on with the hosts winning 2-0.
The Spanish Football League issued a communique saying that they had wanted to postpone the match, but were not able to do so.
