Story By:  Ana Marjanovic, Sub-Editor: Michael Leidig, Agency:  Newsflash

A football-mad fan has taken his dead granddad’s skull to his team’s cup semi final tie for good luck – only to see them lose on penalties.

The devoted Racing Club de Avellaneda fan – not named in local media in Buenos Aires, Argentina – was spotted in the crowd with his macabre mascot.

He later told how his grandfather had been a Racing Club fan “until death” and he now takes him to every match.

The team were playing deadly rivals Boca Juniors at the Lanus City Stadium in a Primera Division semi-final on 14th May.

But after 120 minutes of play, the goalless tie went to a penalty shootout.

And – despite the presence of the lucky skull – Boca Juniors won 6-5.

The fan told local media that he is a lifelong supporter of Racing Club and takes his grandfather’s remains with him “everywhere” he goes.

The supporter said he travelled to Lanus with the skull for good luck and that he passed through security with the gruesome object without a hitch.

He told local media that his grandpa was also a Racing Club fan “till death”.

In 2019, Racing Club supporter Gabriel Aranda dug up the skull of his dead granddad Valentina Aranda and paraded it around the streets after his team won the title.