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    Mexico soccer riot: Latest fallout after violence between Queretaro, Atlas supporters causes Liga MX suspension

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    Mexico soccer riot: Latest fallout after violence between Queretaro, Atlas supporters causes Liga MX suspension
    Mexico soccer riot: Latest fallout after violence between Queretaro, Atlas supporters causes Liga MX suspension

    In what many are calling one of the darkest days in the history of Mexican professional soccer, a brawl that erupted in the stands between Queretaro and Atlas supporters spilled onto the field and caused the suspension of a March 5 match in the Mexican top flight.

    The scenes from the Estadio Corregidora in Queretaro were disturbing, graphic and violent, and they have led to outrage across the Mexican soccer community. Other clubs, officials, current and former players, media pundits and fans are all demanding answers and action and the investigations are only beginning.

    According to reports, barriers meant to separate the supporter groups were breached and the fighting began in the stands, causing some supporters to invade the field to escape it. But the violence followed them, and the Queretaro-Atlas match was eventually suspended in the 63rd minute.

    The video below shows the how the match descended into chaos, with a glaring absence of security personnel in the stands or on the pitch.

    Atlas, the defending Mexican league champion, was winning 1-0 at the time, but the competition is a distant concern at this point with the state of the victims and the pursuit of the perpetrators top of mind among Mexican fans.

    While there has been speculation on social media about possible lives lost — some fans who were at the stadium have subsequently gone public about fatalities they either heard about or allegedly witnessed — there are still no official reports of deaths as of Sunday.

    Why did the soccer riot happen?

    There is a history of incidents between the Queretaro and Atlas supporter groups, with past clashes as recent as 2013, 2010 and 2007, according to reports. Mexican daily Milenio published a story outlining recent issues involving the supporters groups, adding that they are “considered two of the most violent” in Mexican soccer.

    That’s why the security shortcomings at the Corregidora Stadium were immediately singled out as an area of concern by Liga MX president Mikel Arriola.

    “The violence at the Corregidora Stadium in Queretaro is unacceptable and regrettable,” Arriola said on Twitter. “There will be exemplary punishment for those responsible for the absence of security in the stadium. The security of our players and fans is priority.”

    It’s notable that the Queretaro State Police posted a tweet during the match in which they confirmed their presence at the stadium and noted (translated from Spanish) that “the first half is taking place in a tranquil environment and with a good atmosphere in the stands.” That state would devolve shortly after.

    Were there deaths after the Mexico riot?

    Despite the multitude of graphic videos shared on social media showing motionless bodies strewn across the Corregidora Stadium grounds, the Queretaro State Civil Protection body informed that there were no deaths to report on the night the violence transpired on March 5.

    “As of now there are no reports of deaths,” read the statement. “[There were] 22 injured persons, nine of whom were transported to the General Hospital and of these, two are in serious condition.

    The day after, the numbers were increased slightly, but there were still no deaths to report: 26 individuals needed medical attention, of which three were in serious condition, 10 in a “delicate” condition, 10 were deemed not serious, while three were released. 

    Liga MX continues to stick by the official numbers released by the state of Queretaro, including the zero fatalities, but personal accounts from fans who were in the stadium tell a different story. 

    One video that surfaced the day after the violence featured an emotionally distraught Atlas fan who claimed her friend, who she named as Arturo Buenrostro, died in the stadium attacks. She added that she was informed there were 32 deaths though her claims have not been substantiated. When confronted with this information, the Liga MX president continued to point to the official state count.

    In another video interview, a 16-year-old Atlas fan claimed one of his close friends died at the Corregidora Stadium, but he declined to share his name out of respect. He also indicated there were others who perished “assassinated,” accusing stadium security of allowing Queretaro fans into the Atlas visiting supporter section from both sides to trap them.

    “Instead of helping us, [the police] opened the gates so they [the Queretaro fans] could hit us,” he said, sporting a bandage around his head he said was the result of being struck by police.

    He accused the stadium security of working in tandem with the Queretaro supporters who orchestrated the attack. He went on to note how the Atlas fans were thoroughly searched before entering the stadium, and he claimed the Queretaro fans were carrying weapons, including a pistol he witnessed.

    Yet another fan who claimed to be at the stadium said that he hoped there were no deaths at the stadium, but “those of us who were there, saw how the fans wound up … you saw them in pools of blood, not moving. We really hope there were no fatal victims, but it was horrible.”

    Where was security at Queretaro stadium?

    Arriola’s comments and the eyewitness allegations called into question Queretaro municipal and club officials as to their responsibility for preventing the violence that took place. The investigations are expected to uncover the causes of the security failures.

    The Queretaro state governor, Mauricio Kuri, promised an in-depth investigation, but he also pointed the finger at the club. “The Gallos [Queretaro] ownership group and institutions will have to respond for the events,” Kuri said on March 5.

    The day after the incidents, Queretaro club president Gabriel Solares said in a press conference that there were 600 security personnel at the game based on predetermined rules and protocols that establish the security count. “They were overcome not because of the number of security staff, but because of the [violent] actions,” Solares commented.

    The Queretaro team Twitter account and the club’s sporting director Adolfo Rios were the first to issue statements on the day of the attacks. “No one deserves to experience a nightmare like this,” read Rios’s post (as translated from Spanish).

    Rios was also captured on video apologizing to Atlas supporters: “This is not Mexico. This is not what we want for our country. An apology, this hurts us a lot.”

    Solares said the club has subsequently made it a priority to “eliminate the relationship with any type of club supporters group.” 

    Meanwhile, Queretaro governor Kuri promised the violent actors “I’m going to find you” in a press conference he held on March 6. 

    Liga MX taking action

    In the hours after the incidents, Liga MX followed up with a statement confirming the opening of an investigation, the activation of the league’s Disciplinary Commission to begin the sanctioning process, and the pursuit of criminal complaints as necessary.

    Despite calls to immediately suspend action around the league, the Liga MX matches scheduled for later Saturday night moved forward as planned. But after their conclusion, Liga MX announced the suspension of all men’s and women’s professional matches on the slate through at least March 8.

    Arriola traveled to Queretaro the next day and in a press conference announced that visiting supporters would not be allowed to travel to watch their teams play in Liga MX.

    An emergency Liga MX owners meeting set for March 8 is expected to result in additional measures, potentially changing the relationship between clubs and their supporters groups. Arriola has mentioned registering fans and using digital means to better track and monitor fans moving forward.

    He did not rule out the possibility that Queretaro is expelled from the league, though he indicated that the Disciplinary Commission and owners will be following the letter of the league’s rules and regulations to determine the appropriate sanctions.

    Until the investigations are complete, the club’s Corregidora Stadium has been closed and can no longer be used for soccer events.

    Graphic photos and videos on social media

    WARNING: The videos and photos distributed on social media, some of which are shared below, are violent and graphic in nature and will be disturbing to some.

    Social media was quickly inundated with videos and photos from the stadium of motionless bodies on the ground being mercilessly kicked, others stripped of their clothes, and an already-bloodied fan taking a beating. The images and video are hard to watch.

    But their existence will also likely push officials to take extreme measures to ensure Liga MX does not see another incident of this nature again.

    The following two videos showed potential security breaches that Arriola said gave rise to the violence:

    Some of the images were of fans running across the field seeking safety. One man was shown protecting another Atlas fan. There were suggestions on social media that a father may have been protecting his son.

    Mexican publication Esto had reporters on site at the Corregidora Stadium. They took photos and video of the events:

    Radio Formula and Milenio reporter Joaquin Lopez-Doriga documented much of the day’s violence on his Twitter page.



    This news is republished from another source. You can check the original article here

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