26 injured in violent clashes at football match in Mexico

An outbreak of violence at a soccer match in Mexico played by the Querétaro and Atlas clubs on Saturday night has left 26 people injured so far and no deaths, the governor of the central state of Querétaro, Mauricio Kuri, said on Sunday. 

"The balance of these events at the moment is as follows: 26 people who required hospital medical care, 24 are men and 2 women. Of those 26, three were already discharged, of the 23 still hospitalised, three are in serious condition, 10 delicate and the remaining 10 without gravity," the president said at a press conference.

Kuri reiterated that so far there have been no deaths due to the brawl that forced the match on the ninth day of the Mexican Clausura-2022 tournament to be stopped. 

"It is a tragedy because, although there are no deaths, we cannot say that it is not a tragedy and we cannot allow it to become politicised," he said. 

On Saturday night, Civil Protection of Querétaro originally said that there were 22 people injured in the brawl, which occurred at minute 63 of the game, when a confrontation between fans of both clubs began in the stands. 

Given the inability to resolve the facts, the few security elements of the stadium opened the accesses to the field so that people could get to safety with the game underway, so dozens of people flooded the field.

Images spread on social networks showed several bloodied people lying on the ground. 

Due to the invasion, the game was stopped immediately, the soccer players went to the locker room area and the field began to fill with people; some people, including families with children, were seeking safety while others took the violence to the pitch with more exchanges of blows.

– TIMES/AFP

Low security

Governor Kuri also said that security at the stadium was a "private responsibility," so he will meet with the leader of the Mexican soccer league, Mikel Arriola, and with the president of the Querétaro Gallos Blancos club. 

Kuri recognized that the public force was also insufficient and "did not act with the promptness that was deserved."

For its part, the Querétaro State Prosecutor's Office reported in a statement that it had opened an investigation into the events and summoned public servants and members of the private sector "who were responsible for institutional operations to safeguard the integrity of citizens in this sporting event". 

Later, Liga MX, the first division of Mexican soccer, announced that due to the incidents, fans of visiting clubs will not be able to enter the country's stadiums in the coming days. 

"The visiting fans, as of today, will no longer be able to go to the stadiums," announced Mikel Arriola, executive president of Liga MX, at a press conference held at the La Corregidora stadium.

Soccer fans deplored the violence at the stadium and demanded tougher action from sports authorities. 

"Yes, it is too sad, problematic and a very sensitive issue because families normally go to these events and what guarantees them that they will not go to a soccer stadium for a game and end up lifeless," David Rocha, an engineer, told AFP. 36 years old.  

"What infuriates me the most is that the director who is currently in the Mexican Football Federation doesn't do anything, he says that they are going to sanction but more drastic, more severe decisions are needed," said Ricardo, a student from 27 years old who avoided giving his last name. 

After the brawl, the Mexican soccer league decided to suspend the games that were to be played this Sunday.  

- AFP