Ten years ago an outing to a soccer game in Mexico was a peaceful pastime, perfect for the entire family. Yet it seems the violence that has marred the sport in South America has spread to this country.
Fans invaded the pitch and clashed with police during Chivas’ Liga MX match against Atlas on Saturday, May 17. The ugly scenes occurred soon after Omar Bravo scored Chivas’ fourth goal in that 4-1 win that eliminated Atlas from the quarterfinal of the Clausura 2015 tournament.
An Atlas supporter ran onto the pitch, followed by about 30 others who were chased by security guards. Chivas players retreated to the dug-out while Atlas defender Luis Venegas decided to confront two fans, pushing one to the ground. Behind the Chivas goal, a group of hard-core Atlas fans, known as “La barra 51” tried to storm the pitch but were pushed back by security.
According to the Guadalajara police department, 600 municipal police were on duty for the “local derby,” backed up by as many as 600 private security guards. Yet while security surrounding the stadium appeared tight, the reaction to the pitch invasion seemed lax.
It took several minutes for reinforcements to arrive, and the security strategy seemed entirely improvised, with riot police using a billboard to contain Atlas supporters.
“There had been a heavy security presence before the game,” said Tom Marshall, a soccer journalist based in Guadalajara. “But a meaningful and thorough review of how big games at the Estadio Jalisco are policed needs to take place, before there is an altogether more serious incident with tragic consequences.”
While isolated incidents broke out in other parts of the stadium, clashes with police and security guards were contained to the area behind the goal, with some members of the barra kicking officers and attacking them with a stick.
“There is a certain irony that in a sold-out stadium in which 90 percent aren’t segregated, it was in the section comprising exclusively Atlas fans that the violence broke out,” Marshall said.
The game was stopped for 18 minutes before police established control over the situation. Nine fans were injured and 10 arrested, a lower number than in other recent incidents, yet the violence undoubtedly posed a real danger to players, officials, managers and fans.
Hardly a weekend passes in Mexico without some report of fan misbehavior at a soccer game. This was the third major brawl at the Jalisco stadium in the past 18 months.
In December last year, three people were arrested and 23 wounded, including 20 police officers, after Atlas fans attacked Monterrey supporters following defeat in the quarterfinals.
At least 50 were injured and 18 arrested in March last year when Chivas supporters clashed with security in the stadium. On that occasion, two police officers were left in serious condition after being punched and beaten with their own batons.
Many commentators put the surge in violence down to the “barras,” the South American-style groups of hardcore supporters who have grown increasingly violent in recent years. Club Pachuca, in the state of Hidalgo, was the first to introduce a barra in an effort to improve the atmosphere at games. Other clubs soon followed suit, but the combination of passion and alcohol has increasingly led to crowd trouble.
In the aftermath of the most recent violence, the Guadalajara municipal government fined Atlas 260,000 pesos (US$17,000), while the club has banned the barra for an indefinite period of time. The stadium has also been closed for an unspecified period.
Unfortunately for soccer fans, the disturbances detracted from a historic victory. Marco Fabian scored three stunning goals for Chivas in a dramatic thrashing of the club’s bitter hometown rival.
Chivas will face Santos Laguna in the semi-finals, while Atlas coach Tomas Boy announced he was leaving the club after a “mutual agreement.”
Liga Mx Seminfinals
Santos vs. Chivas, Thursday, May 21, 10 p.m. (results: 0-0)
Chivas vs. Santos, Sunday, May 24, 7 p.m.
Pachuca vs. Queretero, Thursday, May 21, 8 p.m. (results 2-0)
Queretero vs. Pachuca, Sunday, May 24, 9 p.m.