Ultras fight, police charge, rubber bullets, pepper spray… and Riquelme appeared to make peace

Fans of the two clubs had previously clashed and one spectator died in 2022 after police fired tear gas to break up violence outside the stadium, which then spread to the stadium, causing breathing problems and panic.

Riquelme left his box with some club advisors to reassure the Boca fans while the game stopped because the bravas (radical fans) of both teams tried to break the barriers that separate the stands to confront each other.

Between both sides, a group of riot police threatened to charge several times to try to deter the violent people. Riquelme appeared in the stands and can be seen in numerous photos and videos grabbing some fans and even some agents to ask for calm.

From the pitch, the players also asked the fans and the police to calm down, and The tension finally subsided.either.

Minutes later, Riquelme narrated what happened on the radio station ‘Radio 10’: «At half-time I was seeing the situation from above, I was moving forward and I had to go down. I am a fan of my club, I love my club, the people».

“I always feel that we have to help so that we understand what sport is,” he continued. Also sometimes, since we criticize the fans of any team a lot, we criticize the police. “I have to thank them that when I went down and talked to them, they understood that there were boys and women, and they apologized for the rubber bullets they fired.”

«The fans in the audience understood that we had to help, and the bars behind our goal came to that place and I have to thank them, they came up there and helped me so that the people would calm down. Just as sometimes they are criticized a lot, today we have to thank them,” concluded the former midfielder. Barcelona and the Villarreal (inter alia).