Libertadores final suspended after Boca players hurt

[rooster59]

Libertadores final suspended after Boca players hurt

By Andrew Downie

 

Soccer Football - Copa Libertadores Final - Second leg - River Plate v Boca Juniors - Antonio Vespucio Liberti Stadium, Buenos Aires, Argentina - November 24, 2018 General view after the match was postponed REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian

 

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - The second leg of the Copa Libertadores final between River Plate and Boca Juniors was suspended on Saturday after Boca players were hurt when their bus was attacked outside the stadium by River fans, officials said.

 

"One can't play in these conditions," Alejandro Dominguez, the president of the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL), told reporters.

 

The trouble tarnished what was supposed to have been a landmark day for Argentine football.

 

The all-Buenos Aires clash marked the first time Argentina's two biggest clubs have met in the final of the Libertadores, South America's equivalent of the Champions League, and it was widely billed as the greatest final in the competition's 58-year history.

 

The game was rescheduled for Sunday, kicking off at 500 pm local time (2000 GMT).

 

The decision was taken more than two hours after the original start time and after CONMEBOL twice rescheduled the kick-off in the hope of getting the game played.

 

Boca players were angry at the original decision to go ahead with the match.

 

"We're in no condition (to play)," Boca forward Carlos Tevez told reporters shortly before the match was suspended. "They are forcing us to play the game."

 

Boca captain Pablo Perez was photographed with his eye bandaged after being taken to hospital and other players suffered cuts to the face, arms, legs and chest.

 

Videos showed almost all the windows on one side of the Boca team had been shattered.

 

Argentine website Clarin said six players had vomited in the dressing-room after ingesting the toxic substance.

 

Some reports said the substance was tear gas that got into the vehicle after police fired at River fans who were throwing stones and missiles at the Boca bus.

 

Others reported that the damage was caused by River fans.

 

"They were throwing pepper gas, stones, everything," Clarin quoted Juan Carlos Crespi, a member of the Boca delegation, as saying.

 

Boca and River drew the first leg 2-2 at Boca's ground on Nov. 11 and the second leg was taking place at River's home on a sunny Saturday afternoon in front of their own fans.

 

Away supporters are banned from football matches in Argentina due to recurring violence in and around the grounds.

Saturday's incident occurred three years after a Libertadores last-16 tie between the same teams was abandoned at halftime after Boca fans attacked the River players with pepper spray in the tunnel.

 

River were given a bye into the quarter-finals and Boca were kicked out the competition.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-11-25

[salty]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6425049/River-Plate-fans-attack-Boca-Juniors-team-coach-ahead-Copa-Libertadores-final.html

[Ulic]

River should be disqualified for their fans behavior. 

[champers]

Boca need to borrow Man City's bus.

[smokie36]

Today's bus will probably arrive surrounded by half a million Boca fans.

[jellydog]

Interesting to note that as the bus neared the stadium the coppers directed it down a street rarely used by visiting teams. The street was full of River supporters equipped with bricks and assorted missiles.

 

For someone who has never lived in Buenos Aires, you can't imagine the enormous amount of skullduggery that goes on. Many of the cops are paid handsomely by the club gangs to assist in dirty work (and paid by politicians and political factions as well).

 

The cops also know that if the game is cancelled it will be rescheduled, which means another big payday for them. They are hired by the clubs to provide security at overtime rates.

[smokie36]

I'm liking this country....maybe its time for a visit.

[jellydog]

12 minutes ago, RonniePickering22 said:

I'm liking this country....maybe its time for a visit.

Buenos Aires is a magnificent and beautiful city. And still the wild west.

[champers]

It is clear that Man City have spent a humungous amount of money to make their team bus riot proof. None of their players were injured when the bus suffered a full frontal attack by scousers. Borrussia Dortmund and Boca Juniors don't have the financial muscle to buy a bus to keep their players safe. FIFA need to investigate urgently.