Colombia Cup Final Ends In Chaos As Pitch Battle Results In 59 Getting Injured

Hyderabad: The final of the Colombia Cup between Atletico Nacional and Deportivo Independiente Medellin in Medellin turned violent as 59 people, including seven police officers, got injured during the chaotic scenes which unfurled after the match. The violence overshadowed Nacional’s hard-earned title triumph.

The chaos erupted moments after the final whistle at the Atanasio Girardot Stadium, where Atletico Nacional emerged triumphant by 1-0 to lift the silverware. It was supposed to be a night of celebration for Nacional fans, but the night was marked by violence as fans from both sides stormed the pitch, hurled projectiles in the field and were engaged in a clash with the security forces.

The videos of the fans hitting each other are going around on social media. The videos show fans breaching the different sections of the ground and confrontations breaking out between them. Riot Police were compelled to intervene in the situation as the scenes were getting out of hand in a stadium packed with 43,000 spectators.

Medellin’s security secretary, Manuel Villa, confirmed that 52 fans sustained injuries during the violent breakout, as quoted by news agency AFP. The police officers said that seven of them were also hurt during the brutal fight that took place. No arrests were made in the matter, but authorities were reviewing the CCTV footage to identify the perpetrators.

The unrest resulted in the cancellation of the post-match trophy celebration and medal ceremony. Usually, visiting fans are prohibited from attending matches between major teams to manage crowd trouble. However, Medellin city hall had decided to allow fans of Atlético Nacional as the home side to promote peaceful co-existence in football.

Mayor Federico Gutierrez condemned the violence, saying those who caused the disturbance are "criminals" and "misfits."