Argentina’s Di Maria faces threats from drug gangs in hometown
ARGENTINE star forward Angel Di Maria reportedly received a threat at his family home on the outskirts of Rosario, according to domestic media.
The incident occurred amid a surge of drug-related violence in the central city, which is also the hometown of Lionel Messi.
The threat, which occurred on Monday, follows a similar incident last year involving Argentine captain Messi. It comes just a week after Di Maria, who currently plays for Portuguese champions Benfica, expressed his desire to finish his career at his childhood club, Rosario Central.
“Tell your son Angel not to come back to Rosario because we will kill a family member,” the message read, according to the news portal Infobae, which cited police sources.
“Not even Pullaro is going to save you,” it added, referring to the provincial governor, Maximiliano Pullaro. “We don’t leave
paper notes. We leave bullets and dead people behind.”
Media said the motivation for the threats remains unclear, however, with police
unable to discard any potential lines of investigation.
Police did not immediately respond to a Reuters email seeking comment.
A car left a sign carrying the message addressed to the Di Maria family in front of the private neighborhood where the 36-year-old usually stays, media said.
“Di Maria knows that he has our full support for whatever he needs. The important thing is that he plays, that will relax him a little.”
Rosario, one of the world’s largest agroport hubs, is awash in violence as drugtrafficking groups have been lured by its appeal, experts say, as an outlet for illegal drugs to be sent to other countries.
Last year’s threat to Messi followed an attack by unidentified gunmen on a supermarket owned by the family of his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo.
Last week, the Argentine government said it would send a bill to Congress to allow the armed forces to intervene in internal security operations to fight drug trafficking and crime in Rosario.