According to a report in Baghdad newspaper Al Zaman, carried by Spanish newspaper Sport, passion between rival fans spilled over into violence and murder this week.
On Monday, a Barcelona supporter in Madain — a city a few miles south of Baghdad — supposedly argued with a Real Madrid-supporting friend in a gaming arcade. The Barca fan then reportedly "slaughtered" his friend with a knife, in full view of several witnesses.
Arabs Today add the chilling detail that the Madrid fan was actually beheaded by his former friend. An Iraqi Interior Ministry source told them:
"A fight broke out on Monday night at the Games Hall in Aldjaarh, between two friends, one of whom supported Barcelona and the other who supported Real Madrid."
The source added that events took a dramatic turn when the Barcelona fan took out a knife and stabbed his friend several times, before "beheading him in public."
"Witnesses at the Hall captured the offender and called the police, who rushed to the scene and took him to a security centre for interrogation. The dead body was taken to the forensic medical department for a post-mortem."
According to Al Zaman, this isn't the first trouble between Iraqi Barcelona and Madrid fans. Last April (presumably on the day of Los Blancos' 2-1 victory at the Nou Camp) a violent knife fight between rivals fans broke out at a coffee shop in Karbala, with several people injured.
GUYS, WHAT DO YOU THINK?
-
- Ezea Kenneth Those pple in that part of the world are cannibals so they dnt value human life.#Middleeast bcs I dnt see any reason why I should kill human being bcs of football.
- Jesse Osayande Vucinic hmmmmm this is sad. Football is a violent game everywhere between supporters and this actually happens. Its a popular trend. It has absolutely nothing to do with the part where they come from.
- Mkwepu Mtenje Al-Katuli violence is part of their culture that's why there can never be peace in Iraq, they will kill each other until no one is left like dinosaurs.
- Jesse Osayande Vucinic @ Mkwepu. Violence is a part of their culture? From what do you base this statement? The suicide bombings? The killings of soldiers? Those weren's there until they got invaded. Violence is everywhere and it has nothing to do with culture. Would you say...See More
