South American football has written another dark chapter with the abandonment of the Copa Libertadores match between Independiente Medellin and CR Flamengo of Rio de Janeiro.
In protest against their team’s poor sporting form, angry fans of the Colombian first division club set a large fire on the tribune, threw seats at intervening police officers, and even stormed the pitch. The match was therefore halted after only a few minutes and later completely abandoned.
The anger of the Medellin fans was primarily directed at the club owners, after the six-time champions missed out on the knockout stages of their domestic league last weekend. Curiously, security authorities had requested on Tuesday that the match be played behind closed doors due to the anticipated disturbances, a request the club rejected due to existing sponsorship contracts.
Flamengo to automatically receive three points according to regulations
According to regulations, the visitors from Brazil are now automatically awarded the three points. While Flamengo already led Group A prior to this, Medellin, currently third, must now fight for a place in the knockout phase.
In the Copa Libertadores, the South American equivalent of the Champions League, hardly a year goes by without serious disturbances. For instance, in 2018, when River Plate fans injured Boca Juniors players by throwing stones at their team bus en route to the stadium, the second leg of the final between the two clubs from the Argentine capital even had to be moved to Madrid.