Argentine victim to be compArgentine victim to be compensated in landmark rulingensated in landmark ruling

BUENOS AIRES, March 7 (Reuters) - The Argentina Football Association (AFA) and first division Lanus have been ordered to pay compensation to a man who lost his sight in a riot outside a stadium in what has been hailed as a landmark ruling.

Argentina's Supreme Court, in a case brought by the victim, Hugo Mosca, said Lanus and the AFA were responsible for the violence which followed the team's home match against Independiente in November 1996.

"The responsibility for the aggression belongs to Lanus as the organising institution and AFA as the participant and beneficiary of the sporting spectacle," a statement issued by the court said.

Argentina suffers from chronic football violence but AFA president Julio Grondona has argued that it is a social problem over which his association has no control.

Mosca, a driver working for the Argentine newspaper Clarin, had taken two reporters to the match and was waiting in his car in the street when the incident happened.

Independiente scored a controversial late goal to win 2-1 and furious Lanus fans began pelting visiting supporters with objects.

Police used tear gas to try to control the situation. The referee and the Independiente players were unable to leave the pitch at the end of the game and the rioting spilled outside the stadium.

SHARP OBJECT

"At this moment, Mosca was hit by a sharp object on the face and suffered a significant injury to his left eye. This caused a progressive reduction in his vision, which later got worse," the statement said.

According to the daily newspaper La Naciona, the sentence read: "The organising club has the duty to take the necessary measures for the event to take place normally, without danger to the public and the participants.

"There is no doubt that the club did not fufil the strict security measures which are required of the organisers, as the behaviour of a group of fans went out of control and caused injury to a third party.

"The AFA is a very special organisation, with a very significant power of intervention over the member clubs, which allows it to be classed as a participant.

"It has the duty to take an extreme level of care over the safety of the people involved."

HOOLIGANISM RECORD

Argentina has been plagued by hooliganism over the years but the situation worsened during the Apertura championship in the second half of last year.

Three matches were halted by crowd violence and another called off at halftime after the referee said he had been threatened by a club president in his dressing-room.

Another match was postponed after supporters prevented team buses from travelling to the stadium in protest at a decision to play the San Lorenzo-Racing Club game behind closed doors.

Last month, River Plate were given a five-match home ban after rival factions of their own supporters clashed in the club's social area hours before a match.

Four people were injured in the brawl, which terrorised families who had come to the club to use its swimming pool and barbecue area situated next to the River Plate stadium.

Updated on Wednesday, Mar 7, 2007 10:57 am EST