Spanish clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid have a strong following in Iraq A Barcelona supporter in Iraq has been arrested for beheading his friend, a Real Madrid supporter, south of Baghdad.An Iraqi Interior Ministry source told Arabstoday that the two fans were involved in an argument at the Games Hall in the Aldjaarh. "A fight broke out on Monday night at the Games Hall in Aldjaarh, between two friends, one of whom supported Barcelona and the other who supported Real Madrid."
The source added that events took a dramatic turn when the Barcelona fan took out a knife and stabbed his friend several times, before "beheading him in public."
"Witnesses at the Hall captured the offender and called the police, who rushed to the scene and took him to a security centre for interrogation. The dead body was taken to the forensic medical department for a post-mortem," the source explained.
Iraqi Barcelona and Real Madrid fans have been involved in clashes previously. Last April, several supporters were injured in violent confrontations at a coffee shop in the city of Karbala.
The La Liga duo are two of the biggest football teams in the world, with a passionate global following. Their matches against each other, known as El Clásico, are usually tense affairs for players and fans alike.