Supporter dies after police and fans clash outside stadium

Argentinian football was in shock after a supporter died as clashes between police and fans caused the match between Gimnasia and Boca Juniors to be abandoned.

The game at the Juan Carmelo Zerillo Stadium in La Plata was attended solely by Gimnasia supporters, due to a ban on away fans, and it was widely reported police closed entrances due to concerns about overcrowding.

Tear gas was fired, and this seeped into the stadium. A 57-year-old fan, who was named as Cesar Gustavo Regueiro, died after a suspected heart problem.

Buenos Aires minister of security Sergio Berni was quoted in local media as saying Gimnasia had over-sold tickets for the stadium, which the club denied.

Berni told TyCSports: "No one wants to be responsible for this and that is why everything ends up falling to the police."

Boca Juniors expressed "regret" over the death, appealing for "a profound call for reflection".

Referee Hernan Mastrangelo suspended the match after nine minutes of the first half, with the Liga Profesional de Futbol saying it would be rescheduled to a future date.

Gimnasia stated: "We will demand that what happened be investigated until those responsible for this tragic day are known.

"Our club complied with the protocols established by the security agencies. There was no overselling tickets and the behaviour of our partners and fans was correct."

The club added in a further statement that it "repudiates the excessive actions of the security forces at the entrance and surroundings" of the stadium.

Referee Mastrangelo told TyC Sports: "I spoke with the players in the locker room to find out how they were and several told me that they were very worried about their relatives who were in the stadium.

"At no time did we have the physical integrity to continue the match since the air was unbreathable. This is the first time something similar has happened to me. It is a situation that makes us all very sad."

The Argentinian Football Association said: "The AFA, with president Claudio Tapia at its head, mourns the death of Cesar Gustavo Regueiro, a supporter of the Gimnasia club, and sends its condolences to family and loved ones."

The incident comes less than a week on from well over 100 people dying in a stampede at Kanjuruhan Stadium in Indonesia.