Violent Clashes Disrupted Brazil Vs. Argentina World Cup Qualifier

Lionel Messi, Argentina’s captain, accused Brazilian police of brutality as their World Cup qualifier against Brazil faced a half-hour delay due to a fight between police and visiting fans at Maracana Stadium on Tuesday.

GWG.ng reports that fight broke out between Brazillian and Argentinian fans while the national anthemns of the two teams were being played just before kick-off.

The fight led to police charging at the visiting contingent with drawn nightsticks. Some Argentina fans responded by ripping up and throwing seats at the officers, causing panic and fans coming onto the pitch to escape the fighting.

One Argentina fan laid on the pitch with a bloodied face and was eventually taken from the stadium on a stretcher. The Argentina team, led by Messi, attempted to calm the situation before leaving the pitch and returning to the dressing room.

Messi stated in a pitchside interview, “It was bad because we saw how they were beating people… The police, as it already happened in the Libertadores final, were once again repressing the people with nightsticks; there were players who had families over there. We went to the locker room because it was the best way to calm everything down; it could have ended in tragedy. You think about the families, the people who are there, who don’t know what’s going on, and we were more concerned about that than playing a match that, at that point, was of secondary importance.”

Brazil captain Marquinhos, interacting with Messi and the Argentinian players to calm the situation, shared the concerns: “We were worried about the families, women and children, that we were seeing in panic up there in the stands. Down on the pitch, it was hard for us to understand what was going on; it was a very scary situation.”

After police corralled the visiting fans and a lengthy delay, the Argentina players returned, winning 1-0 with a 63rd-minute goal headed in by defender Nicolas Otamendi.

GWG.ng reports that the fight between the fans follows in the path of tension that has characterised fixtures between Brazil and Argentina in recent times.

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