A 53-year-old Racing de Santander fan died on Saturday after an altercation in Plaza Simón Cabarga with a man wearing an Albacete shirt. Both are locals of the city, and the victim hit his head upon falling, passing away at Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla. The alleged aggressor was arrested at the scene.
On Saturday, March 22, 2026, around 4:00 p.m., police received a report of an assault in Plaza Simón Cabarga in Santander, one kilometer from the Campos de Sport de El Sardinero stadium, where Racing de Santander and Albacete Balompié were playing a LaLiga Hypermotion match. The victim, a 53-year-old Racing fan, argued with another Santander resident wearing an Albacete shirt. During the altercation, the victim fell and hit his head on a protruding manhole cover, suffering a bleeding head wound, according to police sources cited by EL PAÍS. Emergency services attended him on site and transferred him to Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, where he died shortly after. The alleged aggressor was arrested at the scene by Policía Nacional and will be placed at judicial disposal on Monday. Officers notified the Oficina Nacional de Deportes due to the sports shirts involved. Sources close to the investigation, per eldiario.es, state the incident is not related to football or an organized fan clash. Albacete Balompié offered condolences and denied the detainee was one of their traveling fans, highlighting good relations between supporter groups: “the beautiful communion experienced at all times between both fanbases.” Police continue diligences to close the report.
