Outside of Spain, few places in the world can boast more fervent support of Barcelona and Real Madrid than Iraq.

In Iraqi Kurdistan, some 3,5000 miles from the action, locals are obsessed with La Liga's two biggest teams. When they face each other in El Clasico, bars and coffee houses are segregated between rivals fans and police presence is increased as people celebrate, commiserate and fight long into the night.

According to a report in Baghdad newspaper Al Zaman, carried by Spanish newspaper Sport, passion between rival fans spilled over into violence and murder this week.

On Monday, a Barcelona supporter in Madain — a city a few miles south of Baghdad — supposedly argued with a Real Madrid-supporting friend in a gaming arcade. The Barca fan then reportedly "slaughtered" his friend with a knife, in full view of several witnesses.

Arabs Today add the chilling detail that the Madrid fan was actually beheaded by his former friend. An Iraqi Interior Ministry source told them:

"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."

According to Al Zaman, this isn't the first trouble between Iraqi Barcelona and Madrid fans. Last April (presumably on the day of Los Blancos' 2-1 victory at the Nou Camp) a violent knife fight between rivals fans broke out at a coffee shop in Karbala, with several people injured.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IE5zF128Aw&feature=player_embedded

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/soccer-dirty-tackle/iraqi-barcelona-fan-kills-beheads-friend-supports-real-153533980--sow.html

[size=15pt]::::Viva Barca:::::[/size]

Oh my! Crazy world I'm a Barca fan too but not an extremist. Like I won't wish CR7 to fall down and die. I can only wish him hamstring injury.

Nnkan Nbeeeeeee

Hahahahahahahahaha...





barca + chealsea + arsenal fans= hoodlums

Messi, iniesta ronaldo and other barca and madrid players are paid millions per season, dem no dey share the money with us but na so we go dey fight,insult and even kill ourselves because of them, #when will this madness stop

It got real messi, hala madrid!

Its just a game, how silly can one get? People have turned this sport into a religion, beheading a friend because he doesn't support your team? Stupidity at best.

Nigeria!!! Wch kind country b dis?

Nonsense.

Barca fans na real agbero can you imagine

brainless fanatics!
gerard piqué and ronaldo were sharing a bottle of champagne last night in a club whilst useless iraqis were maiming themselves! television should be banned in iraq - these people still live in the 12th century.

Football is becoming something else in this present world,reason i dont show interest anylonger.

Na wa o

Even with all the bombings,iraq still looks better than naija but dis muslims,all dey know is kill,they can't even create a human being...mtsceew

So 22 matured men with bear bear on their chest will chase a plastic round the field for 90 minutes and someone will end this good life for the sake of that..Olomaje..Tufiakwa

whisper88: Nigeria!!! Wch kind country b dis?

shhhhhhh! Someone should pls hurry up and get a rope before he escapes again.

Lol sheer stupidity. Barca and madrid fans in Spain are not killing themselves but the rag heads in the middle east are?

A 67 years old Barca fan in my hood died of hypertension after Madrid beat barca twice in one week.

15 to comment see problem ooo i don try to be no 1 for almost 2weeks now befor i blink my eyes comment don reach 10 na wah oo

any way na God go punish that barca fan

whisper88: Nigeria!!! Wch kind country b dis?

When last did you visit your optician?

This is the reason why I don't dig going to viewing centres, lot of psychos out there. Am very much comfy in my home, thank you.

Those Arabs aя̩̥̊ε̲̣̣̣̥ animals...

dis is madness. I am a football fan bt nt dis fanatic. There shld be moderation in everything.

Different strokes for different folks. Here La Liga fans are moderates generally, EPL blue fans are kinda Iraqi-Barca fans. Its game friends, shouldnt be enjoyed with bloodshed.

whisper88: Nigeria!!! Wch kind country b dis?

Mumu. Read before you comment.

hahahahahaha, up Barca! I too wll b part of d holy war against non-Barcans,all my chealse n Asenal frnds ar here by sentence 2 death by beheadn 2moro mornin.hahahaha

Abegi..na mumu dey worry dem..I guess he only wanted 2 kill,js dt football was d avenue
Anyways,RIP 2 d dead

End shall never wonder, I must say...

ebamma: Messi, iniesta ronaldo and other barca and madrid players are paid millions per season, dem no dey share the money with us but na so we go dey fight,insult and even kill ourselves because of them, #when will this madness stop

No o,make una dey fight o! Mtchew

Can any good thing(news) come out of Iraq

Replace that word ''friend'' with another word, I don't think someone will actually behead a fellow he considers ''friend'' just because of a football match.