Tigre aim to get under fans' skin

Tigre presented the "Ticket Pasion" idea on their website (www.catigre.com.ar) under the slogan: "Now you can carry your club inside (you)".

The team from the Buenos Aires suburb of Victoria say the scheme will help them control who gets into the club and into matches, blocking members who are not up to date with their fees.

"It works like a remote ID... It won't ever be compulsory, we don't want to do anything invasive, the idea is to speed up access," club secretary Ezequiel Rocino, the first person to have the chip inserted, told reporters.

Most fans, however, reacted angrily on the website, slamming the scheme in messages, some full of offensive language, and demanding improved facilities for the junior teams and other sports.

"Let's stop fooling around and get serious once and for all," one disgruntled fan wrote.

Tigre, a modest mid-table side without major honours and plagued by "barras bravas" hooligans, are 10th with 13 points from 12 matches in one of the two 15-team zones of the first division championship.