São Paulo striker Luis Fabiano has appealed to fans to for peace in the stands ahead of today’s O Choque Rei (The Big Derby) at Morumbi.
After the terrible scene from last weekend, where Coritiba fans attacked a 13-year-old Coritiba supporter just because she asked São Paulo star Lucas Moura for his shirt, the former Sevilla striker, 31, told Lancenet!, that he hopes the derby can go ahead without crowd trouble.
“Actually it would be normal if the dispute was only on the pitch. Sometimes it goes too far and we end up forgetting that football is a healthy sport, two teams that are fighting for victory and not two countries, or something, at war.
“Fans like to fight over the Internet, take objects into the stadium to harass or harm another crowd. I think that’s a great idiocy.”
When asked about the incident from last weekend, Fabiano highlighted the difference between crowd behaviour in Brazil and that in Europe.
“Look, I’ve seen this happen many times in Sevilla. Games of Sevilla against Real Madrid and Barcelona, a little boy, a Sevilla supporter asking for the shirt of Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Casillas and they kindly went and gave the shirt.
“Coincidentally, the people who were on the side, all Sevilla fans, were happy for the kid because they know that winning the shirt of a player like Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi is worth a lot. Instead of attacking as there was in Curitiba, they gave kudos to the kid.
“Here, unfortunately we see a girl with a parent being assaulted by 10, 15 guys who have nothing to do.”
