Police arrest man who brandished machete following argument with son's football coach in Spain

A 51-year-old man was arrested by the National Police in Madrid on Sunday after he allegedly planned to stab his son's football coach. However, thanks to the rapid intervention of the officers who were monitoring the football pitch, the incident ended without injuries.

What started as a fierce argument witnessed by the other players' families turned into an assault attempt. The father had reportedly become frustrated because his son had barely played in several matches. A fierce argument between him and the coach ensued, after which the parent went to his car, where he kept a 63-centimetre machete with a 45-centimetre blade.

Witnesses reported what was happening to the police officers located closest to the football pitch. The man violently wielded the machete, but was arrested before he could harm anyone. He was charged with an offence of illegal possession of a banned weapon and was taken to court.

Violent incidents at youth football matches are becoming increasingly common. For this reason, the police have started to install security officers, who supervise stadiums and football pitches in order to prevent escalation of such conflicts.