San Telmo player accused of murdering goalkeeper Facundo Espindola Football - Argentina Player died after street fight

Argentine football is in mourning after 25-year-old goalkeeper Facundo Espindola was stabbed and killed over the weekend.

He played in River Plate's youth system as well as Almagro for three years.

The incident took place during a street fight, which began as he was leaving a bar in Buenos Aires' Hurlingham district, at dawn on Sunday.

Two men have been detained for their part in the murder and one of them is a fellow player, Nahuel Oviedo, who currently plays for San Telmo.

The attack took place at around 6.30am local time when Espindola and a group of others, which included Oviedo, began fighting in the street.

After punches were thrown, one of the assailants took out a knife and slashed the throat of the goalkeeper, killing him almost instantly.

Oviedo was arrested along with a friend, of Paraguayan nationality, when they were in a white Peugeot 308 at Villa Tees.

Apparently, the car was covered in blood stains, while the murder weapon was found 15 blocks from the scene of the crime.

The reasons for the fight breaking out are still unknown. Oviedo had just returned to action the previous day in a friendly with San Telmo, following his recovery from torn ligaments.

It isn't the first time that the 28-year-old has had a run in with the authorities and in 2011, he was handed a three-year suspended sentence for his part in a robbery in which he admitted guilt.

Espindola, after stints with River and Lanus at youth level, debuted with Almagro in 2015 and reached the Nacional B level of Argentinian football.