Warring football fans in São Paulo call a truce – for the most unusual reason
Supporters of the big four clubs in the city had been tearing each other apart for years. Then a criminal gang intervened
By Tom Sanderson for the Guardian Sport Network
In a place that is so passionate about football and where society can be so violent – there are more murders in Brazil than in any other country in the world – it is no surprise that bloody and even fatal confrontations between rival fans are common. With so many big clubs and intense derbies in São Paulo, the biggest city in the southern hemisphere, you might expect there to be regular clashes between supporters. That was the case until recently, but something has changed in the last few months.
Fan violence was a huge problem in São Paulo a decade ago. In 2015, eight members of a Corinthians fan group were murdered by gunmen while they enjoyed a BBQ and prepared flags for their upcoming derby against Palmeiras. During another derby between the two sides, a fan stole a police officer’s gun during a riot outside Palmeiras’ ground.
Continue reading...from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/apr/19/football-fans-warring-sao-paulo-truce-criminal-gang
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