By IANS/EFE,
Rio de Janeiro : At least seven people were injured over the weekend in a fight involving fans of soccer clubs Corinthians and Palmeiras just before a match in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo, police said.
One of the wounded fans was shot in the head during Sunday’s fight.
About 50 soccer hooligans fought in Limao, a neighbourhood in the northern section of Sao Paulo, at around 10 a.m. Sunday, some four hours before the match, which Corinthians won 2-1, began.
Corinthians’ win over its traditional rival gave it the top spot in the Campeonato Paulista.
The 21-year-old man shot in the head was taken to Vila Nova Cachoeirinha General Hospital.
Police did not say which group the man belonged to, but press reports identified him as a member of Mancha Alvi Verde, which follows Palmeiras.
A 23-year-old man was hospitalized with a gunshot wound to the abdomen, while a 27-year-old man suffered head trauma after being struck with an iron bar and underwent surgery.
The other four victims were taken to different hospitals for treatment of less serious injuries.
Two men were arrested for taking part in the fight, which police broke up with tear gas.
Fan clubs may have used social-networking sites to get members into the streets for the fight, police said.