Soccer fan in Colombia gets 33-year sentence for killing rival supporter in hooligan brawl

BOGOTA, Colombia — A soccer fan who stabbed a rival supporter to death during a battle between opposing hooligan groups has received a 33-year prison sentence.

The sentence by a Bogota court Friday is the most severe punishment ever handed down for hooligan violence in Colombia.

Miguel Angel Osorio was accused of stabbing Jeider Johan Fonseca during a brawl in a Bogota cafe between rival groups from the Santa Fe and Millionarios clubs in September 2009.

Although Osorio was tried under existing statutes, the sentence coincides with the recent approval of a “soccer law” that cracks down on soccer-related violence.

Brawls between hooligan groups are common in Colombia, often taking place far from stadiums and even when there is no match being played.

Source: The Associated Press