The death of a fan clouded the match between Boca Juniors and Gimnasia on Thursday night. Officials stopped the match after nine minutes due to an incident outside the Juan Carmelo Zerillo Stadium in La Plata, Argentina.
Initially, the game only allowed local fans to enter the stadium. Authorities have banned traveling fans from attending away games in the area since 2013. Frequent problems related to violence led to that decision.
Reports claim that nearly 10,000 fans gathered outside the packed stadium during the riots. The stadium only has a capacity for 20,000 people. The Buenos Aires Security Minister, Sergio Berni, said that an investigation will be carried out for overselling tickets for the match.
Likewise, Berni said that the fan’s death was due to cardiac arrest. The 57-year-old man died from the commotion that included police tear gas. He was taken to a local hospital after the incident but did not survive.
The match referee, Hernán Mastrangelo, said the air inside the stadium was filled with tear gas. “It affected all of us on the pitch,” the referee said. ”The air became unbreathable. The situation got out of control and there were no security guarantees.”
Fan dies, others injured outside Boca Juniors match
Fans climbed through the fence in an attempt to get into the packed stadium. Initially, the police tried to control the situation outside the stadium; however, the fight later moved inside the venue.
As the police used tear gas, the players ran off the pitch. In turn, many fans ran onto the pitch in an attempt to find a way out. Gymnastics defender Leonardo Morales described the commotion after things calmed down.
“My two-year-old son couldn’t breathe,” Morales said. “We feel desperate and worried for all the people in the stands. This is crazy. We were playing a normal football game and it turned into this and the feeling that our family members almost died.”
Thursday night’s incident came just five days after the tragedy at an Indonesian soccer match. More than 130 people were killed after fans stormed the field and clashed with police. Soccer matches around the world this week have started with a moment of silence in remembrance of those who lost their lives in the Indonesian disaster.
PHOTO: IMAGO / Photogamma
