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Swedish league match abandoned after Djurgarden fan dies in assault Henrik Larsson demands action after Swedish fan dies in assault
(about 2 hours later)
A supporter of the Stockholm club Djurgarden has died from head injuries sustained in an assault before his team's opening Swedish league match at Helsingborg, police said on Sunday, with the match subsequently abandoned before half-time. A supporter of the Stockholm club Djurgarden died from head injuries sustained in an assault before his team's opening Swedish league match at Helsingborg, police said on Sunday.
"I can confirm that a person has died at Helsingborg Hospital. He was brought there after an incident at Karntrappan in central Helsingborg," a police spokesperson, Ewa-Gun Westford, told the website Fotbollskanalen. The match was subsequently abandoned before half-time after Djurgarden fans stormed the pitch.
The incident occurred half an hour before kick-off on the opening weekend of the Swedish league. Rumours of the 40-year-old's death spread through the terraces 40 minutes into the match, prompting Djurgarden fans to storm on to the pitch. The referee, Martin Hansson, took the players off in the 42nd minute and a tense stand-off between police, security staff and fans ensued. The former Sweden striker Henrik Larsson called on fans to take responsibility for combating hooliganism following the death. "What the hell are we doing? I mean, we're supposed to be going to football," an emotional Larsson told TV station CMore after his Falkenberg side fell to a 3-0 defeat some 60 kilometres away from Helsingborg in Malmo.
"Now there is a mother and a father sitting at home, crying their eyes out. It's awful. We need to get rid of it from Swedish football," he said.
The incident occurred half an hour before kick-off on the opening weekend of the Swedish league. Rumours of the 40-year-old's death spread through the terraces 40 minutes into the match, prompting Djurgarden fans to invade the pitch. The referee, Martin Hansson, took the players off in the 42nd minute and a tense stand-off between police, security staff and fans ensued.
A decision was taken to abandon the game with the score tied at 1-1 shortly before the police confirmed the man had died.A decision was taken to abandon the game with the score tied at 1-1 shortly before the police confirmed the man had died.
Football in Sweden has long been plagued by violent incidents, with several matches being abandoned in recent years due to pitch invasions and fireworks being thrown on to the field.Football in Sweden has long been plagued by violent incidents, with several matches being abandoned in recent years due to pitch invasions and fireworks being thrown on to the field.
The Djurgarden sporting director, Bo Andersson, who was in Helsingborg for his side's opening game of the season, said the deceased supporter was a genuine football fan.
"It wasn't a hooligan, he was a regular supporter, a father of four who liked going to football," Andersson told newspaper Aftonbladet. Tears welled in Andersson's eyes as he spoke to reporters while Larsson called on fans to take action to end crowd trouble.
"It's time for the supporters to take their responsibility too. They're happy to blame others, but take some of your own damn responsibility," Larsson said.
"It's time for someone to start waking up, because I don't want it in Swedish football, or in any football."