Vadim Ghirda/Associated Press

Colombian authorities have opened an investigation after midfielder Carlos Sanchez received death threats following his team's loss against Japan at the 2018 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday, as reported by the Guardian's Carl Worswick.

Sanchez was sent off just minutes into the contest for a deliberate handball in the penalty area while trying to block Shinji Kagawa's effort. Japan took the lead from the resulting penalty and eventually won the game, 2-1.

Colombia are now in real danger of not qualifying for the round of 16, with matches against Senegal and Poland still on the schedule.

Guardian writer Marcus Christenson was appalled some fans would go this far:

In 1994, Colombian defender Andres Escobar was murdered days after he scored an own goal in a 2-1 group-stage loss to the United States that ended the team's World Cup.

Escobar was 27 when he accidentally diverted a John Harkes cross into his own net. He was shot and killed less than a week later.