Attack of the fans, tear gas and injured players: what is known about the incident with the bus "Boca Juniors"

The standoff between Boca Juniors and River Plate is one of the hottest and most uncompromising, not only in South America, but throughout the world. The two most titled clubs in Argentina, winning 62 league titles for two, fight regularly in the local championship, but in 2018 their battle spilled over into the arena of the prestigious international tournament - the Libertadores Cup, which is the Latin American equivalent of the Champions League.

Previously, two great Argentine clubs have never met in the championship final. And this is despite the fact that the assets of Boca Juniors and River Plate are 15 participations in the main match of the tournament, and in nine cases they raised the cup over their heads. Six times its owners were "Genoese" and three times - "millionaires."

Unfortunately, one of the most anticipated matches of the year in South America was overshadowed by the behavior of fans. The first meeting ended with a score of 2: 2, and on the eve of the return match, which was to be held at the Monumental stadium, River Plate fans attacked the bus with Boca Juniors footballers — they began to throw stones and bottles at the vehicle.

As a result, got not only the club bus, but also athletes. Thus, according to the initial data, at least five football players of the “Genoese” suffered - Carlos Tevez, Agustin Almendra, Mauro Zarate, Leonardo Hara and Pablo Perez. And the latter, apparently, received the most serious injuries. A fragment of glass was found in the eye of a 33-year-old midfielder. Later it became known that 21-year-old Gonzalo Lombardo was similarly damaged.

In order to pacify the fans, the police had to use tear gas, but in the end not only the riot fans but also the players suffered from this. As the ex-midfielder of Real Madrid later admitted, and now the Boca Juniors player Fernando Gago, many teammates had difficulty breathing.

“I can not believe it, I experienced a real shock. Many guys suffered. I had an allergic reaction, ”Gago Latercera quotes.

#TNTSports | Así agredieron al micro de #Boca al llegar al Monumental pic.twitter.com/8g72Io3IwX

In connection with the incident, it was originally decided to postpone the start of the meeting by an hour, but later the start time of the fight was shifted by another 1 hour and 15 minutes. The reason for this was the grave condition of a number of players who could not recover from the attack.

“The decision (to hold the match. - RT ) has not been made, and this is not the best way to prepare for the match. We have no position. If we need to play, we will, ”added Gago.

At the same time, his team-mate, former Manchester United and Juventus striker Carlos Tevez said that he and Boca Juniors players could not contact their relatives, because they did not have telephones in the locker room.

“First, I and Gago want to tell our families that we are fine. We are not able to play. We are forced to do it. Doctors helped Pablo (Peres. - RT ), he has eye problems and we are waiting for him. I understand that all managers now feel a lot of pressure, but I think that they should do their job, ”Tevez told TyC Sports.

The Boca Juniors attacker noted that the incident with the attack was filmed on cameras, which would allow law enforcement officers to understand what had happened, and also spoke about his condition.

“I was sick, my throat was literally burning, and just now a headache passed. Our three partners suffered. It’s impossible to believe what happened, ”Tevez concluded.

El estado de los jugadores de #Boca atacados. pic.twitter.com/MLTAXEiI7D

The leadership of the Confederation of Football of South America (CONMEBOL) continued to linger and did not clarify the situation regarding the holding of the second leg of the Libertadores Cup final. The players remained in ignorance, but many of them were determined to enter the field. It is noteworthy that among them was even Perez, who was damaged by his eyes. But as a result, it was decided to postpone the start of the fight for a day.

“A gentlemen’s agreement was reached between the two clubs, common sense prevailed. The match will begin with the audience. I want to congratulate the presidents of Boca Juniors and River Plate, because the meeting was in jeopardy. Let me remind everyone that football is a game, not a war, ”said KONMEBOL head Alejandro Dominguez Wilson.

Later, the Alairelibre portal announced that the authorities in Buenos Aires had decided to close the Monumental stadium, in which the second match of the Libertadores Cup final was to take place. It is noted that this was done for security reasons, as more fans tried to get into the arena than it holds. In addition, in the construction there are problems with access to emergency exits.

Thus, the match between River Plate and Boca Juniors is still in question. The meeting should begin at 17:00 local time (23:00 Moscow time), but at the moment the owners have not received permission from the metropolitan police.