Violent Liga MX Brawl Leads to Several Injuries, Suspension; FIFA Condemns Riot in Mexico
The Liga MX match between host team Queretaro and Atlas from Guadalajara was suspended after a violent brawl broke out among fans during Saturday's game.
President of the Mexican Soccer Federation Mikel Arriola said in a statement that they regret and condemn the events, which occurred in contrast to the spirit of the game, according to a Daily Mail report.
The Liga MX suspension has also affected three matches scheduled for Sunday. It remains unclear if games will resume or what sanctions the league will impose in the wake of the disastrous turn of events..
Queretaro Governor Mauricio Kuri commented on the incident, saying what happened fills him with "pain, with shame, and a lot of rage."
Kuri added that he has no words "strong enough to condemn the violence," as well as the abusiveness and senselessness of the violent brawl.
The match was suspended in the 62nd minute when the fight suddenly ensued in the stands.
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Violent Liga MX Fans Brawl
Soccer reporter Jon Arnold tweeted about the incident, saying that they have never seen the level of violence in Liga MX before.
Security personnel opened the gates to the field so that fans, which included women and children, could escape the stands.
Queretaro state authorities said that 23 remained hospitalized, 10 were in serious condition and three others were in critical condition with very severe injuries, according to a Washington Post News report.
Some Atlas players had fled to the locker rooms, while some Queretaro players stayed near the bench trying to quell fans.
Some of the fights moved to the field where fans continued punching and kicking each other, with a number of people armed with chairs and metal bars.
One fan was seen pulling a knife to cut the net of one goal, while others wrecked one side's bench.
Mexican newspaper El Universal wrote on their Sunday frontpage headline, "the darkest day for Mexican soccer."
There were unconfirmed reports in Mexico media that up to 17 people had died in the violence. However, the governor of Queretaro said those reports were untrue and that no one had died.
Kuri said that out of 26 people who had been hospitalized, four of them had minor wounds and eight were in stable condition.
Meanwhile, three of the injured were in critical condition, according to The Guardian report.
Those who were in critical condition may have been the men who were seen unconscious on the ground being repeatedly kicked and pummeled in videos posted on social media.
Kuri said that the men were savagely injured and it was a shame and a blot on soccer for these types of things to happen in a place where families go and have fun.
FIFA Condemns Liga MX Brawl
FIFA said in a statement that it joins the Mexican Football Association and CONCACAF in condemning the incident, which they described as "barbaric," via CBS Sports.
FIFA had also encouraged the local authorities to bring justice to those responsible for the brawl that took place in the match.
Football fans had also responded negatively when pictures and videos of the brawl were shared on social media.
Atlas faced issues of violence among its fans recently.
Rafael Marquez, a former captain of the Mexican national team who started his career with Atlas, said that what is happening in Queretaro is happening in his country. Marquez, later on, became a coach.
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Mary Webber
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