Angel Di Maria may be one of Argentina's most beloved soccer players, having scored a goal that helped the country win its second World Cup in Qatar. However, the soccer star recently received some death threats from a local drug gang from his and Lionel Messi's hometown, Rosario.

The 36-year-old wingman has played for some of the biggest teams in Europe, like Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Paris Saint-Germaine. However, he also previously played for his hometown team, Rosario Central, and after over a decade in Europe, the World Cup winner wanted to go back home.

This did not sit well with local gangs, though, as according to The Sun, a note was thrown into his home in the Miraflores neighborhood in Rosario, Argentina, at around 2:30 AM local time, from what was described as a grey car.

"Tell your son Angel not to return to Rosario again because otherwise, we will screw him up by killing a family member," the letter warned. "Not even Pullaro is going to save you. We don't throw away pieces of paper, we throw lead and dead people."

The letter mentioned Maximiliano Pullaro, the Governor of Santa Fe Province. Police are now investigating the scene, and they have admitted that it is not yet clear why the local gang targeted the Argentina soccer legend and hometown hero.

Angel Di Maria Recently Admitted Wanting To Play for Rosario Central Again

Di Maria, the "Angel of Argentina," is currently on tour in the United States with the rest of the World Cup champion Argentina team, including superstar and fellow Rosario hometown hero Lionel Messi.

While he is currently signed with Benfica in Portugal, Di Maria has recently teased that he could play again for his boyhood club Rosario Central. This was welcomed by many in the city as many are still high on his thrilling World Cup final goal against France.

Crime Rising in Rosario, Argentina, Hometown of Angel Di Maria and Lionel Messi

The rising crime rate in the city of Rosario has been well-documented, with local crime groups often targeting public figures with threats. As Latin Post previously reported, this has happened before with Lionel Messi.

"That kind of threat brings a lot of social commotion and that is their aim - to make the population scared, hit public figures," a local government official named Esteban Santantino stated during an interview.

Reuters noted that the city is the site of one of the world's largest agro-port hubs. It has also seen an increase in violence as criminal organizations fight over drug trafficking routes.

The situation in the city is getting bad enough that a bill was sent to the Argentine Congress to allow the armed forces to intervene in internal security operations to fight these drug organizations and help lower the crime rate in Rosario.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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