• Argentine football hooligan leader shot dead near stadium
• Andrés “Pillín” Bracamonte led the gang for over two decades
• Reported links with to the Los Monos drug cartel
• He was ambushed just four blocks from the stadium

Argentine football hooligan leader shot dead near stadium

Andrés “Pillín” Bracamonte, the long-time leader of a notorious football hooligan gang in Argentina, was fatally shot near Rosario Central’s Gigante de Arroyito stadium on Saturday.  

Bracamonte, 52, had led the Rosario Central supporters’ gang for over two decades, becoming infamous for violent clashes with rival groups. He and his deputy, Daniel “Rana” Atardo, were ambushed by a motorcyclist just four blocks from the stadium following a league match.  

Despite his deep ties to the club’s hooligan culture, Bracamonte did not attend the game. He had been banned from matches due to prior violent incidents and was under investigation for money laundering and extortion.  

Both men were rushed to Centenario Hospital, where they succumbed to their injuries.  

Local media described the killings as a “settling of scores,” noting Bracamonte’s long history of criminal activity and the repeated attacks against him. In August, he survived a shooting in which a bullet grazed his back while injuring his partner.  

Bracamonte also faced accusations of links to the Los Monos drug cartel, further fueling speculation about the motive behind his death.  

The killings have drawn significant attention in Rosario, a city already grappling with escalating violence tied to organised crime.