Governments and Conmebol pick up the pieces after a violent night in Buenos Aires

   Chilean President Gabriel Boric has slammed Conmebol’s handling of security after fan violence forced the abandonment of a Copa Sudamericana match between Independiente and Universidad de Chile in Buenos Aires.

The second-leg clash was suspended in the 48th minute after rival supporters clashed violently in the stands. In a situation that screams incompetence and a basic lack of common sense, Universidad de Chile fans were positioned directly above Independiente’s home section, creating a situation that had explosive written all over it.

Local media reported fans hurled rocks, toilet fixtures, seats, masonry pieces, excrement, stun grenades and basically anything they could get in their hands at each other. The violence escalated in the second half when home fans stormed the away section, with one supporter reportedly falling from the upper stand and suffering injuries.

“What happened in Avellaneda stadium between the fans of Independiente and Universidad de Chile is wrong in too many ways, from the violence among the supporters to the evident irresponsibility in the organisation,” Boric wrote on social media.

The president prioritised Chilean citizens’ welfare: “Now our priority as a government is to know the condition of the Chileans who have been attacked, ensure their immediate medical attention, and guarantee that those who are detained have their rights respected.”

Boric added emphatically: “Nothing justifies a lynching. Nothing.”

Universidad de Chile director Daniel Schapira called it “an organisational issue,” telling ADN Radio: “This has turned into a circus… It’s a social, cultural issue; this is much more than football.”

Chilean international Felipe Loyola, who plays for Independiente, posted his devastation: “I still can’t believe what I witnessed today. This isn’t football. Sport is not violence.”

Conmebol blamed the cancellation on “lack of security guarantees” and referred the incidents to their Disciplinary Committee. The match was abandoned with Universidad de Chile leading 2-1 on aggregate.

Fan violence in South America is nothing new however the chaos in Buenos Aries on Wednesday night underscores the institutional failures to provide basic protections for supporters coming to support their clubs.