Outbreaks of violence in Mexico, Panama, Uruguay and Brazil damage the image of football in Latin America

The pitched battle between fans of Querétaro and Atlas in Mexican soccer, which left 26 injured and whose images went around the world on Saturday, put the finger on the sore spot in a wound that has become constant in the stadiums of Latin America.

Instead of songs, goals and celebrations, the football festival has been marred by violence. The aggressions do not seem to stop inside and around the stadiums of the continent.

Last Saturday, in images that went viral, the sports world was horrified at the invasion of the field by fans of the Querétaro and Atlas teams, during the ninth day of the Mexican soccer closing tournament.

The fight between fans of both teams, which started in the stands, ended up on the pitch and caused the players to take refuge in the changing rooms and the referee to end the match.

The state governor, Mauricio Kuri, indicated that 26 people were hospitalized, 24 men and two women.

“It is a tragedy because, although there are no deaths, we cannot say that it is not a tragedy and we cannot allow it to become politicized,” said the state president.

Brazil also suffers

And when it was believed that after Mexico, the rest of the countries in America would have a quiet day of football, in Brazil, a fight between fans of Atlético Mineiro and Cruzeiro left at least one dead and one wounded by a gunshot this Sunday. before the derby played by the two main clubs in Belo Horizonte.

According to the Militarized Police of the state of Minas Gerais, about 50 fans of both clubs staged a premeditated and organized brawl through social networks.

During the fight, a 25-year-old Cruzeiro fan was shot in the abdomen and admitted to a hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery, but he could not resist the seriousness of his injuries and died.

The confrontation also left another man, a motorcyclist who was passing through the place at the time of the fight, wounded by a bullet, although without risk of death, the authorities said.

And this is not the only episode of violence recorded in Brazilian soccer recently.

On February 24, two Bahia players were injured after an explosive device was thrown at the team bus on its way to the Arena Fonte Nova stadium in Salvador.

A week later, a group of Paraná fans invaded the Vila Capanema stadium in Curitiba, five minutes from the end of the match against Francisco Beltrao’s Uniao, who were losing 1-3, with the intention of attacking the players of their team. team, who reacted quickly and were able to take shelter in the changing rooms.

In another recent violent situation, the Gremio bus was stoned by fans of Internacional, its closest rival from Porto Alegre, leaving several players from the squad injured, including Paraguayan Mathías Villasanti and Colombian Jaminton Campaz.

Threats to referees in Uruguay

In Uruguay, the fifth date of the Opening Tournament was suspended this Saturday after the threats received by the referees during the matches between Nacional-Torque and Peñarol-Danubio.

The Uruguayan Association of Soccer Referees (AUDAF) made the decision after a meeting in which this instance was reached by consensus.

“AUDAF does not and will not admit any type of statement, threat or aggression involving our associates or our activity,” the document adds.

The Panama League is no stranger

The violence has even spread to leagues in countries with less tradition in soccer, such as Panama.

On February 24, the Disciplinary Committee of the Panamanian Soccer League ruled the sanctions against the Tauro and Plaza Amador clubs after their supporters staged a brawl, in which one person was injured.

world football reactions

Given the spiral of violent events in the fields of Latin American football, the president of the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol), Alejandro Domínguez, expressed his rejection.

“We extend our solidarity to Mexican soccer and our condolences for the victims of the confrontation in the stands. Football is synonymous with peace, unity and tolerance. Let’s not allow violence to destroy this beautiful sport, ”said the leader on his Twitter account.

FIFA also declared itself “dismayed by the tragic incident that occurred at the La Corregidora stadium in the city of Querétaro during the match between Querétaro and Atlas” and added that “the acts of violence at the La Corregidora stadium are unacceptable and intolerable.”

And with the eyes of soccer on them, the president of the Mexican soccer league, Mikel Arriola, announced that the visiting teams’ fans will no longer be allowed to enter the stadiums in the championship games.

Arriola also mentioned that while the investigations are being carried out, the Querétaro plaza was disabled.

Just a week ago, Corinthians striker Willian Borges asked the Brazilian authorities to act against violence in football.

“I hope that the authorities can, once and for all, do what they have to do. We enter the field, we do what we can, but we can’t control those kinds of situations, ”said the Brazilian winger in a video shared on his social networks.

Borges, 33, denounced that violence in football is a “very serious matter” that even today “many people see as something normal” and complained of the lack of forcefulness when it comes to punishing offenders.

“Nothing is wrong with them. They continue doing, doing, doing and Brazilian soccer tolerates it, the authorities tolerate that. And if we tolerate it, we can’t complain. That has to stop,” he said.

Violence without consequences

And just as Borges denounces that the authorities in Brazil do not act, a case of the ineffectiveness of the authorities was the suspension last October of a Colombian league match between América and Atlético Nacional, which won 2-0, and in the that the rival’s fans entered and invaded the field to threaten the red players who, to their astonishment, had to take shelter in the dressing rooms.

Neither the bar, nor the club, nor the stadium suffered any kind of punishment. (D)