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Football fan dies as supporters clash in Helsingborg
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March 31st, 2014
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Cops appeal to witnesses to come forward
There is still no arrest in the brutal slaying of a 43-year-old football fan in Helsingborg in southern Sweden yesterday afternoon.
Referee Martin Hansson was forced to abandon the match at Olympia Stadium in Helsingborg – just across the sound from Helsingør – between Djurgardens and Helsingborg yesterday afternoon when supporters invaded the pitch after one man died in clashes between both sets of fans earlier in the day
Fans of both sides had clashed in the centre of Helsingborg before Sunday’s game and the supporter was taken to hospital with serious head injuries. Police later confirmed that the father of four had died.
Hansson was forced to take the players off the pitch just before half-time for security reasons with the score at 1-1 and the match was not restarted as a stand-off took place between fans and police.
“We need more witnesses who saw the incident,” Ewa-Gun Westford, police commissioner in Helsingborg told the Swedish media. “We have an idea of what happened, but still need to put the pieces together.”
Westford said that arrived on the scene quickly, but too late to save the victim.
Unprovoked and gratuitous
Witnesses described the attack as completely gratuitous.
“Three people rushed him and one hit him in the head with a bottle,” a woman told the Swedish paper Aftonbladet. “After he fell, they beat and kicked him.”
At an early morning press conference today, police said that the attack appeared to be completely unprovoked.
Detective Carolina Aspinge from the Helsingborg police department called on the perpetrator or perpetrators to come forward.
“We believe that there are several people that know who did this,” she said at the press conference. “Those involved know in their heart what they have done and they are welcome to contact us.”
READ MORE: Mass arrests after football game may have been illegal
Helsingborg sporting director Jesper Jansson called yesterday "a black day".
"It is extremely tragic for this guy's family, for football and for the whole community."
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