Bogota (AFP)
About 20 fans and a police officer were injured during a knife fight during a Colombian football league match in the city of Medellin, according to an official source.
The riot broke out at the beginning of the second half of the match between Atlético Nacional and its guest, Junior de Barranquilla, at the Atanacio-Girardot stadium, in one of the stands designated for the “Hollingens” fans, who create riots.
Manuel Villa, Medellin’s security secretary, wrote on the “X” platform (formerly Twitter): “At the moment, a police officer and 20 fans have been injured, some of whom have been transferred to medical centers.”
City Mayor Federico Guterres described the fans as “criminals,” expressing his regret on the “X” platform: “The fact that a sporting event ends in a battle between those who call themselves fans shows us that we still lack much of the culture to experience football in peace.” ».
Pictures circulated on social media show fans of the two teams fighting with knives and sticks in the stands, in addition to wounded people covered in blood, being treated in the locker rooms.
The referee decided to stop the match and the police were forced to evacuate the stadium.
Colombian football witnesses numerous acts of fan violence in and around stadiums, regularly causing deaths.
Since last year, the government, football authorities and fan representatives have been holding talks to find a solution, but without reaching effective solutions so far.
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