Picture Credit: Reuters
One person died on Thursday following violent clashes that started outside a football stadium on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, according to the local authorities. The match was between Boca Juniors and Gimnasia y Esgrima where the violence ensued.
Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas outside the Carmelo Zerillo stadium in La Plata, about 50 kilometres south of the Argentine capital. The authorities then attempted to stop fans from pushing into the already crowded venue. But the clashes continued inside, where spectators were seen through pushed across the fencing trying to escape the violence and get onto the field.
The Authorities at San Martin hospital in La Plata confirmed the passing of 57-year-old Cesar Regueiro from cardiac arrest as he was being transferred from the stadium to a hospital. A cameraman for sports channel TyC was injured while a lot of fans were suffering from the effects of tear gas and were taken to hospitals, as per local reports.
The Argentine Football Association also made a statement on its Twitter account about the incident. The statement said, "The AFA strongly repudiates the events that took place today in the vicinity of Gimnasia stadium and expresses its commitment to continue working to eradicate this kind of incidents that tarnishes the spirit of football."
Eduardo Aparicio, the head of a government agency tasked with preventing violence in sports addressed the incident as he said, "There were about 10,000 people around the stadium trying to get in, some with tickets, some without. Everyone could see that the stadium was very full. All this is being investigated," including "the actions of the police."
Gimnasia player Leonardo Morales shared a traumatic incident from the clashes as he had to rush his son to the dressing room as he could breathe. He said, "My 2-year-old son couldn't breathe. We feel desperate and worried about all the people in the stands. This is crazy. We were playing a normal football game and it turned it into this and the feeling that our relatives almost died."