BUENOS AIRES: The violence that has marred Argentine first division Gimnasia's season worsened following an indefinite ban for a club director and a player who came to blows in the VIP box at the weekend's La Plata derby.

Sergio Boscariol and defender Lucas Manuel Leiva were the main offenders in a fight between directors and players at the end of the 'clasico platense' which bitter rivals Estudiantes won 3-0, the second major incident involving Gimnasia this season.

The suspensions from all football-related activity, handed down by the government of the province of Buenos Aires, were posted on the website of its Agency for the Prevention of Violence in Sport.

"They participated in a fist fight in the stands of the Ciudad de La Plata stadium," Aprevide said in a statement.

The players, some still serving a prior ban, were watching the derby with the directors.

The Argentine FA suspended 14 players from both teams, who have a history of fiery clashes on the pitch, for between eight matches and one game after a brawl at the end of a friendly between the sides in January.

Coach Pedro Troglio, a World Cup finalist as a midfielder with Argentina in 1990, became another victim of Gimnasia's troubled season when he was sacked on Monday after five years in charge, an unusually long spell in the volatile Argentine game.

Gimnasia are seventh in Zone A of the first division with 10 points from seven matches while Estudiantes are third in Zone B with 13 points.

The winners of the two zones meet in the final in May.