Fire erupts at football stadium as former Premier League star tackles blaze during match

Ed Griffiths
Tue, 07 Apr 2026 09:36:38 +0000

Former Premier League star Ezequiel Schelotto came to the rescue during FC Paradiso's weekend fixture when flames erupted near the goal during their clash with FC Bavois.

The Argentine defender, now 36 and serving as skipper for the Swiss third-division outfit, sprinted to grab a hose from the touchline and tackled the blaze himself.

Footage shared on social media captured the fire breaking out beside a supporter's banner, near one of the goals and a car park at Campo Pian Scairolo.

The club's stadium can hold a modest 1,000 fans on a gameday.

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The cause of the fire remains unknown.

Despite the disruption, it failed to derail Paradiso's afternoon as they secured a 2-1 victory.

Schelotto's firefighting heroics come six years after his Premier League career concluded at Brighton.

He featured in 28 top-flight matches for the Seagulls between 2017 and 2020.

The defender arrived at the Amex Stadium from Sporting Lisbon for £2.5million, having previously turned out for Italian sides Cesena, Atalanta and Inter Milan.

His debut campaign under Chris Hughton proved his most productive, with 23 appearances across all competitions.

A loan spell at Chievo followed in his second season before he returned to the south coast for the final year of his three-year deal.

Under Graham Potter, Schelotto managed just nine further outings before the club opted against renewing his contract.

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The relationship between Schelotto and Potter soured during that final season, with the Argentine recently revealing the source of their disagreement in an Italian interview.

Schelotto explained: "In the Premier League, I had a falling out with Potter. I played at home, never away. One formation at home, another away. So after a win against Arsenal, I asked him why, and he dropped me for a couple of weeks."

His Brighton tenure also featured a memorable confrontation with Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha during the M23 derby in 2020.

Coming off the bench, Schelotto received a booking for booting the ball at Zaha, who responded by shoving the defender.

Schelotto then taunted the Palace forward with a "crybaby" gesture as home supporters jeered Zaha during the Eagles' 1-0 triumph.

Following his departure from Brighton, Schelotto returned to his homeland to represent Racing Club before moving on to Aldosivi and, subsequently, Deportivo Moron.

The well-travelled defender then headed back to Europe in 2023, signing for Serie B outfit Barletta in Italy, where he had spent the bulk of his playing days.

His journey eventually led him to southern Switzerland the following year, where he took on the captaincy at Paradiso.