A court in Rosario sentenced 45-year-old Sergio Di Vanni to seven-and-a-half years behind bars on Wednesday after he threatened the daughter of former Manchester United player Angel Di Maria. Di Vanni, a supporter of local club Newell's Old Boys, targeted the 38-year-old Argentine player in 2024 when plans emerged for Di Maria to return to his boyhood team, Rosario Central.
Di Maria stated that criminals attacked a real estate agency owned by his sister, leaving a pig's head with a bullet in the forehead alongside a warning note. The note claimed that if Di Maria rejoined Rosario Central, his daughter Pia would be next. Testimony during the trial also revealed that gunshots were fired near a gated community where the athlete owns property.
A 25-year-old woman received a three-year prison sentence in June connected to similar offences, while authorities continue searching for a third suspect. Di Maria previously joined Manchester United from Real Madrid for £59.7million in 2014 before transferring to Paris Saint-Germain for £44m a year later. He eventually made the move to Rosario Central last year following stints with Juventus and Benfica.
