Brazilian soccer player threatened after game

SAO PAULO — The coach of a second-division soccer club in Brazil says armed men threatened players in the locker room after a loss.

Four men carrying guns confronted the players following a 2-1 home loss to Vila Nova on Tuesday, Portuguesa coach Rene Simoes said. The defeat extended the team’s winless streak to six games.

“What kind of football is this? What kind of world is this?” said Simoes, who coached Jamaica at the 1998 World Cup and also coached Brazil’s women’s national team. “I’ve never seen anything like this in my career. It’s unbelievable.”

Portuguesa said in a statement Wednesday that those who made the threats were security guards accompanying a club member who has access to the facilities. Local authorities and the Brazilian soccer confederation said there will be an investigation.

Portuguesa, the first-division runner-up in the 1996 Brazilian league, is ninth in the 20-team standings and in danger of not making it back to the top division next year.

Players said they have been subject to threats for some time because of the team’s poor showing.

“It’s absurd for things like this to happen because of a football match,” striker Edno said. “There’s no way I can keep playing here.”

Portuguesa fans at Caninde Stadium are especially zealous. In 2005, about 50 fans fought with players after a home loss, forcing police to intervene.

“Where is this going to end,” Simoes said. “It can’t keep going like this.”