Argentinian female footballer is found beaten and strangled to death by her ex-husband - just five months after mother of two filed for a restraining order against her former partner

An Argentinian female football player has been found strangled to death by her ex-husband, who later committed suicide, inside her apartment.

Florencia Guinazu, 30, who played for Argentino de Mendoza, was found beaten and strangled inside the room she shared with former partner Ignacio Agustín Notto.

Following the incident, a note was left in the window which alerted neighbours to the horrors they would find inside, which read: 'Call 911. The children are alone.'

Multiple outlets, including O Globo, suggest that Notto wrote the note after killing Guinazu, before taking his own life shortly afterwards. 

Throughout this, their two sons, aged five and seven, were left playing PlayStation in the main room of the apartment.

Reports claim that the eldest son knocked on the master bedroom door, where the murder took place, but it was locked from the inside and no one was answering. 

He later wandered out into the complex's courtyard before a neighbour eventually read the note and called the police, who arrived on the scene shortly afterwards.

After breaking down the door to the master bedroom, they found Guinazu lying on the floor, amid stains of blood. Notto was also in the room, having taken his own life.

The autopsy determined, according to the statement released on Monday, that the victim died of asphyxiation due to strangulation.

The incident comes just five months after Noto was the subject of a complaint from Guinazu, who asked for him to leave their home in November 2023.

Despite telling police that she was not injured from the ordeal, a restraining order was later issued - which was likely respected up until the recent murder. 

The Mendoza Homicide and Institutional Violence Prosecutor's Unit sent a press release on Monday, which read: 'There has not been, from that date until what happened on Saturday, any complaint of violation of the prohibition of approach issued.'

Guinazu's club took to Instagram to post a message regarding the murder. They said: 'Florencia Guinazu was a player in the First Division of Women's Soccer 11 of the Club Atlético Argentino. 

'We greatly regret her murder, which was femicide. Yesterday her husband Ignacio Notto beat her to death and then committed suicide.

'Despite being legally united in marriage, they were separated, she had already denounced him repeatedly, and he was arrested and released in November 2023. 

'Many details of the case are not yet known, we are waiting for more information. What we do know is that women's football is in mourning, one more woman murdered at the hands of her ex-partner. STOP KILLING US'.

As well as being a football player, Guinazu also had experience in rugby and boasted close to 25,000 followers on social media. 

For support call Samaritans on 116123 in the UK or visit www.samaritans.org or www.thecalmzone.net/get-support, or call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline on 988 in the US.