Soccer-Argentine player unharmed after kidnap ordeal

A top-flight Argentine player has been released unharmed after being kidnapping for several hours, his club Lanus said on Sunday. Central defender Lautaro Valenti was abducted along with a companion on Saturday night in Avellaneda, an industrial district of greater Buenos Aires, the day after he played in a 2-0 defeat away to Aldovisi in the Argentine championship.

"Fortunately, they were freed hours later," the club said in a statement. "They are in a perfect state of health. Lanus thank the police and legal authorities for their prompt action in this case." A report in the daily newspaper La Nacion and other Argentine media said Valenti was taken after going out to buy a pizza. His agent negotiated his release and a ransom of between $2,000 and $3,000 was paid, the reports said.

The 21-year-old made his debut for Lanus last May. He was called up for Argentina's squad to play in the Olympic qualifying tournament this month but Lanus said they could not release him as two of their defenders were injured. Express kidnappings are a threat in a number of Latin American cities. They are opportunistic rather than planned and victims often pay the ransoms themselves as they are driven to ATM machines and forced to withdraw cash.

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