On Wednesday, a court in the city of Rosario sentenced 45-year-old Sergio Di Vani to seven and a half years in prison for threatening Ángel Di María, a former player of the Argentina national team. These threats occurred in 2024 to prevent Di María from returning to Argentina to end his professional career.
Details of the Threats
The court found Di Vani guilty of issuing orders to intimidate Di María's family in order to dissuade the player from returning to his country. Di María was playing for Benfica in March 2024 but was considering a return to his childhood club, Rosario Central, which took place in 2025. Rosario Central and Newell's Old Boys, Lionel Messi's childhood club, are fierce local rivals.
The threats included gunfire near a residential complex where Di María owns property, as well as placing the head of a pig with gunshot wounds outside a real estate agency run by his sister, along with a threatening message for his daughter.
Other Convictions and Social Dimensions
A 25-year-old woman named Belen Gutierrez, identified by prosecutors as one of the perpetrators, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison in June under a plea agreement. Another suspect remains in pre-trial detention. According to prosecutors, the two threatened Di María for a payment of four million pesos (approximately $2,600). This campaign has been linked to a power struggle among Newell's supporters, and Di Vani's conviction also includes separate offenses related to his role in the fan group.
Initially, Di María set aside his plans to return to Argentina for the safety of his family, but ultimately changed his mind. Now 38 years old, he has spent the last two seasons at Rosario Central and has helped the club win the Argentine championship at the end of 2025.
