According to Vanguard, an Argentine court has sentenced Sergio Di Vanni, 45, to seven and a half years in prison for threatening Angel Di Maria in 2024. The intimidation campaign aimed to stop Di Maria from returning to Argentina to play for Rosario Central, a rival club to Newell's Old Boys. [1]
The threats included gunshots fired near Di Maria's property and a pig's head with a bullet wound left outside his sister's estate agency, alongside a message threatening his daughter. This incident led Di Maria to initially abandon plans to return to Argentina, prioritising his family's safety. [1]
The case is linked to an internal power struggle among Newell's ultras, with Di Vanni's sentence also covering separate offences related to his involvement in the supporters' group. A third suspect remains in pre-trial detention, and a 25-year-old woman, Belen Gutierrez, was previously sentenced to three and a half years in prison for her role in the intimidation campaign. [1]
Published 29 October 2026 · By Sports Culture Desk. Read our editorial standards.
