San Lorenzo coach in televised street spat
Reuters - Tuesday 15 May 2012, 09:47
San Lorenzo's famously
volatile coach Ricardo Caruso Lombardi has been involved in a
furious televised street spat, raising his fists and insulting
another man outside a television studio.
Several Argentine networks showed footage of the incident in
which Lombardi was seen to follow the man out of a car park and
down the street to challenge him to a fight.
Lombardi, who had a cut near his left eye, squared up to the
man like a boxer sparring with an opponent and lashed out, but a
policeman prevented any of his punches from making contact.
The exchange, which went on for at least five minutes before
other policemen arrived, took place in a busy street in central
Buenos Aires and onlookers could be heard in the background
egging on the pair.
Argentine media identified the other man as Fabio Garcia,
who was an assistant to Leonardo Madelon, Lombardi's predecessor
at San Lorenzo.
Lombardi told reporters that Garcia had attacked him in the
car park although that was denied by Garcia. Both men were taken
to a police station and later released, media reports said.
The quick-talking Lombardi, famous for speaking his mind,
has criticised Madelon's work at San Lorenzo since taking over
in April, especially regarding the fitness of the players.
Lombardi has coached 16 professional clubs in Argentine and
has earned a reputation as a rescue worker.
He famously saved Racing Club from relegation three years
ago and, although he failed to produce a repeat performance with
Quilmes last season, he left them well placed for promotion when
he departed for San Lorenzo in April.
Known as 'The Saw' during his playing days as a
hard-tackling midfielder, the stocky 50-year-old has been
involved in numerous verbal slanging matches with players and
coaches.
San Lorenzo, regarded as one of the big five Buenos Aires
clubs, are 17th in the relegation standings which would force
them into a two-leg play off against team from the second
division.
The club has been beset by incidents of violence in and
around their ground which is adjacent to a notorious shanty
town.
Captain Jonathan Bottinelli was hit by a hard-core fan
during an argument after training in October and a junior player
was stabbed in the stomach by young supporter in February.
In a more recent incident, fans tried to storm the match
officials' changing room angry that referee Diego Abal allowed
visiting Colon's controversial equaliser in a 1-1 draw, a
decision he admitted the following day had been a mistake.
Relegation in Argentina is decided over three seasons.