Argentina footballer, Angel Di Maria has received a threat from gangs at his family home on the outskirts of Rosario early Monday morning, March 25 according to local media.
The message comes a week after the former Manchester United, PSG and Real Madrid footballer, currently playing for Portuguese champions Benfica, said he would like to end his career at his boyhood club Rosario Central.
Local media reports said a car left a sign in front of the private neighbourhood where the 36-year-old usually stays addressed to the Di Maria family saying not even the provincial governor, Maximiliano Pullaro could guarantee their safety if he returns to the city.
‘Tell your son Angel not to come back to Rosario because we will kill a family member. Not even Pullaro is going to save you.
‘We don’t leave paper notes. We leave bullets and dead people behind,’ read the message, according to the news portal Infobae, citing police sources.
Rosario has seen an intense increase in violence by drug trafficking groups, as the city is a potential outlet for illegal drugs in other countries.
Esteban Santantino, who works in security for the local government, told broadcaster Todo Noticias: ‘That kind of threat brings a lot of social commotion and that is their aim to make the population scared, hit public figures’.
Di Maria left his boyhood club back in 2007 after playing 36 games for Rosario Central, before signing for Benfica – where he made 125 appearances in three years.
He then left Portugal to join Spanish giants Real Madrid before later moving to Manchester United, PSG, Juventus and then returning to Benfica.
Argentine captain and Rosario-born Lionel Messi was also threatened in a letter last year after unidentified gunmen attacked a supermarket owned by his wife Antonella Roccuzzo’s family.