Disgusted Racing fans throw crutches on pitch
Reuters - Thursday 19 April 2012, 15:43
Racing Club fans threw
more than a dozen crutches on to the pitch during a Copa
Argentina match in a graphic expression of their disgust at the
team's form.
The match officials helped remove the crutches during the
Copa Argentina match against lower league side Sarmiento, a 2-0
win for Racing, in the northern city of Resistencia on Wednesday
evening.
Racing have been in dismal form in the first division
Clausura championship and coach Alfio Basile resigned after last
weekend's 4-1 derby defeat at Independiente.
"The fans' reaction is logical in a country that experiences
football [in the exaggerated] way we do here, but I hope they'll
support us as they always have," Racing's new coach Luis
Zubeldia told reporters.
Media said it was not clear how fans had got away with
taking a large number of crutches into the ground in
Resistencia.
The Avellaneda derby at Independiente ended with a
controversial Racing changing room episode in which Colombia
striker Teo Gutierrez, sent off 21 minutes from the end, pulled
a paint-ball gun on angry team mates.
Racing decided Gutierrez, sent off four times in 14 months,
would not play for them again and have loaned him to fellow
first division Lanus to strengthen their squad for the knockout
phase of the Libertadores Cup.
Racing are four from bottom of the Clausura standings with
nine points from 10 games, 11 points behind joint leaders Boca
Juniors and Newell's Old Boys.