Latin American roundup

Argentine officials celebrate hooligan-free weekend

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (Reuters) -- Argentine authorities celebrated on Monday after a peaceful weekend of first division football in the hooligan-plagued domestic championship.

No serious incidents were reported as play resumed for the first time since the Boca Juniors-Chacarita Juniors match on August 31 was stopped in the 66th minute because of rioting fans.

Officials concentrated their efforts on Sunday's high-risk fixture between Racing Club and arch-rivals Boca Juniors in the industrial Buenos Aires suburb of Avellaneda, where fans were subjected to random fingerprint checks and breath tests.

"The new security system worked very well and left us completely satisfied," said Mario Gallina, director of the security committee for the government of Buenos Aires province.

"We have to keep working in this way and we will see the benefits in time."

Gallina said that 100 people were arrested before the Racing game, mainly for possession of drugs detected by sniffer dogs.

Seventy people were barred from entering the stadium after failing breath tests.

The worst effected were sent to a medical centre while most were held in detention for a couple of hours until they sobered up, Gallina said.

Seven fans were held after fingerprint tests showed warrants had been issued for their arrest following previous violence.

Argentine football has been plagued by soccer violence, often with fatalities and a host of initiatives by the authorities have so far failed to stem the problem.

The trouble at the Boca-Chacarita match came after visiting Chacarita supporters in the upper tier hurled objects at the Boca fans below them.

Boca fans attempted to invade the Chacarita area, police stepped in with teargas and the match was abandoned with Boca leading 2-0.

Boca were later awarded all three points.

Rijkaard looking forward to meeting his mentor

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -- Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard said he was looking forward to Wednesday's friendly against Mexican club America, which will give him a chance to face the man who launched his career on the touchline.

Rijkaard remembered that fellow Dutchman and current America coach Leo Beenhakker gave him his first coaching job at Ajax Amsterdam and was also in charge of the Netherlands World Cup team in 1990, in which Rijkaard was a central figure.

"I know him well, he's the coach who has made me, he gave me the chance to coach my first game with Ajax so I have great memories of him," Rijkaard told a news conference on Monday.

The Spanish club arrived in Mexico City on Monday for the game arranged to celebrate America's 87th birthday.

Beenhakker, who has also coached Feyenoord, Real Zaragoza and Real Madrid among others, resigned his job in Ajax in June to return for a second stint at America, who are owned by Mexican media giants Televisa.

Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.