River charged by CONMEBOL as Argentina pushes anti-football hooligan bill after final chaos
ByReuters
Published 27/11/2018 at 09:45 GMT
Argentina's president on Monday called for Congress to pass a bill in special session that would crack down on football hooliganism after a weekend melee derailed the final leg of the region's main club tournament and resulted in CONMEBOL charging River Plate.
Les supporters de River Plate quittent le Monumental après le report de la finale retour de la Copa Libertadores entre River Plate et Boca Juniors samedi 24 novembre
Image credit: Getty Images
President Mauricio Macri wants a law that would more severely punish the kind of violence that over the weekend shut down the second leg of the Copa Libertadores final between River and Boca Juniors.
The riot was especially embarrassing to the country as it prepares to host a summit of the G20 bloc of nations on Friday.
A visibly angry Macri went on television to denounce criminal soccer fan organizations, called 'Barras Bravas', that are known for dealing drugs, extorting rank-and-file fans and demanding protection money from small businesses located near stadiums.
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Picture released by DP via Noticias Argentinas showing police forces blocking supporters of River Plate in the surroundings of the Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires following an attack on the Boca team bus before the all-Argentine Copa Libertadores secon
Image credit: Getty Images
"We reject the mafias that are often behind this type of violence," Macri said. "I hope that after this embarrassment, we can get a law passed in extra sessions of Congress."
Security Minister Patricia Bullrich said the law would stiffen penalties against violence related to soccer matches.
Later on Monday, the security minister for the city of Buenos Aires, Martin Ocampo, resigned over the fiasco.
The decisive leg of the tournament had been set to be played on Saturday, but was suspended until Sunday after Boca players were injured when their bus was attacked by River fans outside Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires.
As a result CONMEBOL, the South American football federation has opened up disciplinary proceedings against River, giving the club 24 hours to respond.
"The South American Football Confederation - CONMEBOL- announced that the Disciplinary Unit has opened a disciplinary process ex officio against Club Atlético River Plate, due to incidents that occurred on November 24, 2018, the date that the second leg match of the CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores 2018 was scheduled," the federation's statement read.
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The coach of Boca Juniors, Guillermo Barros Schelotto and the club president Daniel Angelici
Image credit: Getty Images
"The Club has been notified and has a period of 24 hours from the notification to respond to the allegations and present the evidence that in its defense it deems appropriate."
Some of Boca's players had not sufficiently recovered by Sunday, so the game was again postponed. The heads of both clubs were expected to meet on Tuesday to decide when to reschedule. The Italiancity of Genoa has offered to host the second leg should the decision be taken to play the game outside of South America.
Macri said the incident was particularly "sad and frustrating" because it happened five days ahead of a meeting of the G20 bloc of industrialized nations in Buenos Aires, which he has touted as part of the country's effort at attracting foreign investment despite its high rate of inflation and recession.
He also said he was incensed that the 23 people arrested in Saturday's melee had already been set free.
"I don't understand in the name of all Argentines," Macri said in a raised voice. "I don't understand the reaction of the justice system."
The Copa Libertadores is South America's equivalent of Europe's Champion's League. This year marked the first time Argentina's two biggest clubs had met for the title.
The cross town showdown had been billed as the greatest final in the competition's 58-year history.
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