Double murder
July 23, 2010
A German man who confessed to shooting dead two Italians in an argument over World Cup football has been flown back to his home country to face trial, police said Friday.
The 42-year-old is to appear before a German remand judge after arriving in the northern city of Hanover from Madrid late Thursday.
The man allegedly shot the two Italians, aged 47 and 49, in a Hanover bar on July 5 after a row over whether Germany or Italy had won more World Cup titles. The 47-year-old died soon after he was shot, while the 49-year-old died of his wounds hours later.
The German reportedly then fled to the Spanish island of Mallorca, where a family member persuaded him to surrender to police.
The incident came as the World Cup in South Africa was reaching its crescendo.
A spokeswoman for the Spanish judiciary said the man suffered from depression and was potentially suicidal.
Italy has won four World Cup titles - 1934, 1938, 1982 and 2006 - while Germany has won three - 1954, 1974 and 1990.
Author: Darren Mara (dpa/AP)
Editor: Rob Turner