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‘Shameful’ Boca bus attack forces Copa Libertadores final postponement
BUENOS AIRES, Nov 25, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Saturday’s “superclasico” Copa
Libertadores final second leg between Argentine arch rivals River Plate and
Boca Juniors was postponed until Sunday following a “shameful” attack on the
Boca team bus that left players affected by smoke inhalation and broken
glass.
Alejandro Dominguez, the president of competition organizers Conmebol told
FOX television that the two teams had agreed to the postponement and the game
will now take place at River’s Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires at 5pm
(2000 GMT) on Sunday.
“I want to congratulate both club presidents because there has been a
gentleman’s agreement between them,” said Dominguez, head of South American
football’s governing body.
“In these conditions the game was distorted. One team couldn’t play and the
other doesn’t want to play against a rival that isn’t in the right
conditions.”
Conmebol originally delayed the match more than two hours when Boca players
were affected by tear gas and broken glass after their team bus was pelted
with “pepper spray, sticks and stones” on the way to the stadium.
“It’s a very sad day, there are a few misfits at every club,” said Boca
president Daniel Angelici.
“This should shame us as a society and I find it very sad that we have to
reschedule such an important match.”
His River counterpart, Rodolfo D’Onofrio added: “As an Argentine and as a
football leader, I find this shameful.”
Despite the bus travelling through the streets of the upmarket Nunez
neighborhood towards River’s ground under police guard, it came under fire
from projectiles thrown by a group of the home side’s fans.
After the match was postponed, there were scuffles and several arrests
outside the ground between as supporters clashed with police.
– ‘Attacked from everywhere’ –
After Conmebol’s original decision just to delay the match, Boca veteran
Carlos Tevez spoke to Fox television and complained: “We’re not in a
condition to play. They’re forcing us to play.”
Boca players were left coughing and teary eyed after the attack that
shattered several of their bus’s windows.
“They attacked us from everywhere,” said Boca captain Pablo Perez, who was
taken to a local hospital for treatment before returning to the ground.
“Pablo has just returned from hospital and has a bandage on his eye,” added
Tevez, a former Manchester United, Manchester City and Juventus forward.
“Other team-mates have cuts. We’ve only just been able to breathe well
because we were affected by the gas. We can’t play like this,” said Tevez,
who won the Copa Libertadores in 2003 during his first of three stints with
Boca.
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However, organizers later relented.
“It’s not easy to take this decision when there are 60,000 people in the
stadium and the (television) rights have been sold to a ton of countries,”
said Angelici.
“But the most important thing is to look after the physical and
psychological condition of the team.”
D’Onofrio added: “It’s the right decision and we hope to be able to play in
peace tomorrow.”
It is the first time ever two Argentine teams have contested the final of
the Copa Libertadores, the South American equivalent of Europe’s Champions
League and has been dubbed the biggest club match in the history of Argentine
football.
The two sides are locked at 2-2 from the first leg two weeks ago at Boca’s
iconic Bombonera stadium, which was also delayed 24 hours but due to the
weather.
Conmebol had originally seemed to be insisting the game go ahead and a
statement from its medical commission shown on television said some players
had suffered “superficial cuts” and that there was no medical reason to
postpone the match.
– ‘Overwhelmed by vandalism’ –
Although central defender Carlos Izquierdoz said River fans had thrown
pepper spray as well as sticks and stones, a Boca official told the press
that the gas came from the police trying to disperse the attackers.
“There was a lack of control in the last streets close to the Monumental.
The police were overwhelmed by all the vandalism and had to disperse the
River fans with tear gas,” said the unnamed official.
“Because of the wind and the broken windows, it entered the bus.”
There will be no Boca fans at the second leg as travelling support has been
banned at all Argentine football matches since 2013 due to hooliganism.
Football-related violence has cost the lives of more than 300 fans in
Argentina over the last 50 years, according to figures from the Salvemos al
Futbol (Let’s save football) charity.
This local encounter is widely viewed as the fiercest rivalry in world
football.
River have won the Copa Libertadores three times, the last of those coming
in 2015.
Boca are six-time winners, a record bettered only by fellow Argentines
Independiente with seven, but last lifted the trophy more than a decade ago.
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