Game stopped after three minutes
©IMAGO
The group game in the Copa Libertadores between Independiente Medellín and Flamengo from Rio de Janeiro was canceled after serious fan protests. Supporters of the Colombian club set fire to the Estadio Atanasio Girardot Bengalos on Thursday (local time) and threw objects onto the pitch. Referee Jesús Valenzuela stopped the game after three minutes and sent the teams to the dressing rooms.
Security forces intervened in the stadium after Medellín fans tried to storm the field. Since the situation did not calm down significantly, the South American continental association CONMEBOL declared the game abandoned when the score was 0-0 after a compulsory break of more than an hour.
The police then evacuated the stadium except for the visitors’ block. Later there were supposed to be riots in the area, as “AS Colombia” reported. There was severe devastation in the stands and sanitary areas of the stadium. According to the disciplinary rules, Medellín is now at risk of the game being classified as a 3-0 defeat. During the break, Flamengo midfielder Jorginho wrote on “X” about a photo from the dressing room with several teammates: “We are fine and we are waiting here.”
Fans planned protests against Medellín club management
The background to the riots is said to have been planned protests by the Ultras against the club management of Independiente Medellín. According to the Colombian media, the Ultras wanted to use their action to provoke a harsh punishment against their own club by the umbrella organization CONMEBOL.
Independiente missed the championship round in the Colombian league last weekend after finishing eleventh. After the 1-2 defeat against Rionegro Águilas, main shareholder Raúl Giraldo mocked the fans with derogatory gestures. He apologized for his “bad behavior” and resigned. But that wasn’t enough for many fans.
Defending champions Flamengo lead Group A of the Copa Libertadores with seven points, followed by Estudiantes de La Plata from Argentina with six points. Medellín is in third place with four points. The competition is the South American equivalent of the European Champions League.
