Fortaleza fans attack their own coach at training

More craziness from South American football where violence has once again come to the fore.

Second division outfit Fortaleza are currently in big trouble at the wrong end of the table with the side just managing to keep their head above water holding the fourth bottom spot. Not happy with their team’s recent performances, the Torcida Uniformizada do Fortaleza took their protest to the team’s training session, and unsurprisingly violence quickly spilled over as a coach was attack.

Stupidly, despite the fans being positioned behind fencing, a gate leading onto the training pitch was left unmanned and unguarded. Not needing a second invitation, a group of angry Fortaleza supporters decided to make their protest more vocal, entering the pitch and approaching team coach Carlinhos Mercadante.

After quickly surrounding the coach from all sides, one of the group punched a ball out of the coach’s hand. Mercadante immediately turned aggressively towards to trouble-maker, pushes ensued, and quickly things escalated as kicks and punches were thrown.

Amazingly, despite looking twice their age, coach Mercadante bravely stood up to all the hooligans before eventually getting help from some of his fellow assistants.

The incident can be seen here.