Rio de Janeiro, Feb 17 (IANS): A teenage football fan of Brazilian top flight club Nautico is fighting for his life after being shot during a confrontation between rival supporters.

The 17-year-old was taken to hospital Saturday in the northeastern Brazilian city of Recife with a bullet wound in his neck, reports Xinhua.

The incident occurred when fans of the city's biggest rivals - Nautico and Sport - clashed following Sport's 2-2 draw with Campinense. Nautico was due to play Central at a nearby stadium later.

"A man got off a bus which was carrying a group of Sport supporters and shot the guy in the back of the neck," Recife military police major Jorge Araujo said.

Shootouts among feuding football fans are a common occurrence in Brazil. In August 2012, Vasco da Gama fan Diego Martins was shot dead in northern suburbs here after an altercation with supporters of rival club Flamengo.

Rio police made a series of arrests in November last year as part of a government-commissioned Fair Play probe designed to reduce fan violence ahead of next year's FIFA World Cup.