Former El Salvador defender Pacheco murdered

El Salvador’s most-capped footballer Alfredo Pacheco has been shot dead, the country’s attorney general’s office has confirmed.

Pacheco, 33, was talking with friends at a petrol station in the city of Santa Ana when he was gunned down by an unknown assailant in the early hours of Sunday morning. Two other people were injured and taken to hospital.

“The attorney general’s office in Santa Ana processed the crime scene of the murder of Alfredo Pacheco at 3.30am in a petrol station,” it said.

Pacheco made 86 appearances for his country, scoring seven goals, but was banned by the Salvadoran Football Federation – a decision ratfied by FIFA – in 2013 after being found guilty of involvement in match-fixing.

He spent the bulk of his club career with Club Deportivo FAS but also had spells with the New York Red Bulls, Aguila and Isidro Metápan.

There have been 6,068 murders in El Salvador in 2015 – a rise of 55 per cent compared to 2014.