Rosario court jails fan over threats to Di Maria's family

A court in Rosario sentenced football supporter Sergio Di Vanni to seven and a half years in prison on Wednesday after finding him guilty of ordering threats against Angel Di Maria’s family. The intimidation was intended to stop the former Argentina international returning from abroad to play for a rival club.

Di Maria was playing for Benfica when the threats took place in March 2024. He was considering a return to his boyhood club Rosario Central, a move he eventually made in 2025.

Threats against the family

The threats included gunshots fired near a gated community where Di Maria owns a property. A pig’s head bearing a bullet wound was also left outside an estate agency run by his sister, along with a message threatening his daughter.

Following the threats, Di Maria initially abandoned his plans to return to Argentina because of concerns for his family’s safety. He later reversed that decision and joined Rosario Central.

Rosario Central and Newell’s Old Boys are Rosario’s two major teams and fierce local rivals. Prosecutors said the intimidation campaign was linked to an internal power struggle among Newell’s ultras, while Di Vanni’s sentence also covered separate offences connected to his involvement in the supporters’ group.

Other suspects in the case

A 25-year-old woman, Belen Gutierrez, was identified by prosecutors as one of the people who carried out the threats. She received a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence in June after entering a plea agreement.

A third suspect remains in pre-trial detention. Prosecutors alleged that the two carried out the threats in exchange for four million pesos ($2,600).

The case arose while Di Maria was weighing whether to return to Rosario Central from Benfica.

Di Maria’s return went ahead

Despite initially deciding against the move, Di Maria completed his return to Rosario Central in 2025. Now 38, he has spent the past two seasons at the club and helped it win the Argentine title at the end of 2025.