Livid Vietnamese football fans burned stadium seats and newspapers after their team's loss yesterday as new Brazilian superstar signing Denilson sat in the stands.

More than an hour before the game began, 30,000 supporters had filled the Lach Tray stadium eager to see the 31-year-old World Cup-winning Brazilian make his debut for the home team but they were disappointed when he was left off the teamsheet.

"Denilson, go home!" some of them shouted after Hai Phong Cement Football Club lost 2-0 to league-leading Danang City.

Smoke rose over the stadium in this northeastern port city and firefighters, who had been on standby, climbed into the stands to douse the blazes.

The fans, notorious for their aggressive behaviour, had already been throwing water bottles and other objects throughout the match.

Hai Phong Cement said Denilson, a member of Brazil's 2002 World Cup-winning squad and once the world's most expensive footballer, signed with them during the week.

"I arrived one week ago and will train more," Denilson told reporters from his seat in the stands shortly before his team took the field to start the second half of the V-League season.

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