What should have been a football celebration ended in chaos and violence. The final of the BetPlay Cup between Atlético Nacional and Independiente Medellín became a pitched battle after the purslane coronation, leaving 52 people treated, several injured uniformed personnel and criminals who are being identified who will now face justice.
Mayor Federico Gutiérrez was forceful in his message: “They are not fans, they are criminals. Whoever went to the Stadium to attack, destroy or create fear, answers before the law. We are not going to allow a few to damage what belongs to everyone”the president stated on his social networks after the excesses recorded at the Atanasio Girardot.
The celebration on the field did not last long. Sides of both fans took over the sports scene, generating fights, terror and destruction among people who only wanted to watch football in peace.
The images of the unleashed violence spread across the country, clouding the purslane team’s winning of the eighth BetPlay Cup.
Manuel Villa Mejía, Secretary of Security and Coexistence of Medellín, who was in the stadium during the incidents, categorically rejected what happened and warned that both the field invaders and those who generated chaos will face criminal and administrative sanctions.
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“These criminals can put on a shirt and they will not stop being what they are: social misfits, cowards and criminals. This is how they have to be treated and this is how they will be treated”stated the official.
Villa explained that the cameras inside and outside the Atanasio Girardot will be used to identify those responsible. The material will be delivered to the Prosecutor’s Office for the corresponding correctives.
“People who pose as fans, but who are not fans, are delinquents, vandals and criminals must be identified. There must be administrative sanctions and complaints that we are already articulating”accurate.
The balance of the violence left 52 people treated, one transferred to a care center, several detained in the Protection Transfer Center (CTP) and summonses imposed in accordance with Law 1801 of citizen coexistence.
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During the operations, flares, bazookas with more than 300 shots, more than 20 boxes of gunpowder and wads were seized. Seven uniformed Police officers were injured with minor injuries during the clashes.
Mayor Gutiérrez announced that in the coming days the Local Football Commission will be summoned in an extraordinary manner to evaluate administrative decisions and sanctions against those responsible.
The complaints will come from multiple fronts: the mayor’s office for the damage inside the stadium, the National Police for the attacks on seven uniformed officers, Telemedellín for threats against its journalists, and other media agencies that also suffered attacks during the violent day.
“We hope that just as there are going to be administrative sanctions, there will be judicialization and criminal sanctions, because this has to set a precedent,” Villa Mejía emphasized.
“The solution is not to close the stadium”
“We cannot fall into the debate of the two fans yes or the two fans no. Six months ago there was a final here where there was only one of the teams and something also happened. The fights do not only take place in the stadium, there can be them outside, in a neighborhood, in other stadiums, in other cities.”Villa argued.
The secretary recalled that during this last month four classics were played between Nacional and Medellín, and the first three took place completely normally. “Football has to be what it should be: a party with emotions, with anger, with frustrations, but it must be a tool for building coexistence”he concluded.
The official closed by stating that the failure was not a security one, since all measures were taken to guarantee football in peace. However, it was impossible to control with the available deployment the violent people whose initiative was always to generate chaos on the sports scene.
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