BUENOS AIRES, July 30 - Four players were sent off
and a brawl in the tunnel delayed play for eight minutes during
a match in Argentina's so-called Friendship Cup at the weekend.
Trouble broke out in the second half on Saturday evening
after Gimnasia-La Plata striker Martin Cardetti and San Lorenzo
defender Pablo Quatrocchi were red-carded for fighting.
The pair insulted each other as they entered the tunnel with
players and officials from both benches then joining in along
with Gimnasia security officials, leading to a brawl.
Argentine media reports said San Lorenzo coach Oscar Ruggeri
was punched by a Gimnasia official during the fighting.
The teams, who play in first division, returned to the field
to complete the game, which ended 0-0.
San Lorenzo finished with eight men as Diego Rivero had been
sent off before halftime for a second bookable offence followed
by Sebastian Mendez early in the second half.
The Friendship Cup is a warm-up for the Argentine season
which starts next weekend.
"It was madness," Gimnasia coach Pedro Troglio told La
Nacion newspaper. "I didn't expect anything like this. It was a
bad way for a friendly to end."