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SportsMexico

Mexico: Dozens injured in soccer game brawl

March 6, 2022

At least 22 people were injured when violence erupted during the Liga MX match between Queretaro and Atlas.

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Fans clash during a Mexican soccer league match between the host Queretaro and Atlas from Guadalajara, at the Corregidora stadium, in Queretaro, Mexico, Saturday, March 5, 2022
Soccer clubs and state officials have demanded answers into the incidentImage: Sergio Gonzalez/AP/picture alliance

At least 22 people were wounded in a brawl at a soccer game Saturday night in Mexico's Queretaro city, officials from the Queretaro state civil protection agency said.

The agency said two people were "seriously" injured, but there were no deaths.

Fans clash during a Mexican soccer league match between the host Queretaro and Atlas from Guadalajara, at the Corregidora stadium, in Queretaro, Mexico, Saturday, March 5, 2022.
The match between host Queretaro and Atlas was suspended after fighting broke outImage: Sergio Gonzalez/AP/picture alliance

What happened?

The violence broke out between fans of opposing teams, Querétaro F.C. and Atlas F.C., during a Liga MX match. 

Footage showed chaos unfold first in the stands of La Corregidora stadium, where the game was taking place, with people kicking and punching each other.

Players from visiting Atlas quickly fled to the locker rooms as did some from the Queretaro side.

Other Queretaro players stayed near the bench trying to calm the fans.

Some fans then moved the fight to the field, some were armed with chairs and metal bars.

That led to the game being called off.

Unverified social media footage showed fans lying on the ground, covered in blood, as a result of the brawl.

Security guards opened the gates to the field to allow fans to get to safety, but fighting reportedly continued.

Officials slam violence

Queretaro Governor Mauricio Kuri tweeted that he was at the hospital to get more information about the brawl.

He called "for the law to be applied with all its consequences" to those deemed responsible.

Mikel Arriola, the executive president of Liga-MX, also slammed the violence.

"Those responsible for the lack of security at the stadium will be exemplarily punished. The safety of our players and fans is a priority," Arriola tweeted.

Atlas FC demanded in a statement that authorities open an investigation into the fight in order to hold people accountable and to ensure that "full force of the law will be applied." 

It added that the rest of those injured were stable, adding that they were all men and four of them were from the western Mexican state of Jalisco.

rm/mm (Reuters, AP, AFP)