The second leg of the quarterfinals of the Chilean Cup between Universidad Católica and Universidad de Chile was suspended on Wednesday after fireworks were fired at the visiting team’s goalkeeper Martín Parra. This is the umpteenth embarrassing event in Chilean football.
The incident occurred five minutes into the match after Universidad Católica took the lead with a controversial penalty goal that leveled the tie.
The highest penalty was converted by Argentine Fernando Zampedri, with his team’s fans starting to launch loud fireworks at the goal defended by Martín Parra.
The game was suspended after five minutes
Three fell near the goal, 22 years old. Surrounded by smoke and hands covering his ears, in this situation the match referee ordered the players to return to the locker room.
Meanwhile, Parra was taken off on a stretcher and transferred to a hospital in Valparaíso, where the match was played, with an ear injury. He spent the night under observation and, pending discharge, had to spend at least a week without training due to severe acoustic trauma.
A few minutes later, the Federation, in consultation with security forces and stadium managers, decided to suspend the match indefinitely. Police reported the arrest of two people in connection with the incident.
The Universidad de Chile, as well as the media and various institutions requested that the Federation impose the “heaviest punishment” on the Universidad Católica since the match was originally supposed to be played without spectators due to some incidents that took place before .
Controversial decision: the fight will continue
However, the highest authority of Chilean soccer, consisting of the National Association of Professional Soccer (ANFP) and the Chilean Federation (ANFA), chose this Thursday not to impose disciplinary sanctions and to resume the match at a date to be determined.
The president of ANFA, Justo Álvarez, harshly attacked the decision, adopted by four votes in favor and three against, announcing that his organization had requested the expulsion of Universidad Católica from the competition.
“We don’t agree. If we don’t take a hard line, this will continue to happen. What else are we waiting for? For someone to die,” said Álvarez. “What signal are we sending to the youth, what signal are we sending to the media?”
It’s raining, pouring
The incident comes amid a national debate about the capacity of stadiums and the management of security inside and outside them.
Colo Colo, the club with the most followers in Chile, was punished in May on two occasions by Conmebol with millionaire fines and field closures for violent actions by its fans at the South American Cup, known for causing avalanches at the gates of the stadium. to try to force them and enter the stand irregularly.
as well as concerts
This is in addition to the many violent incidents that occur in the country both at sporting events and at other types of shows, such as music concerts.
Last night Puerto Rican singer Daddy Yankee’s concert ended with avalanches, violence outside and more than 4,000 people sneaking into the National Stadium in Santiago without getting in. The organization blamed the security forces for the chaos and said they followed the necessary security protocols.
Source: La Verdad
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