Three people have been badly injured in clashes that erupted between rival fans at a key Brazilian league football match. A helicopter made a landing at the field to rush a victim to a hospital, while police stepped in to quell the violence.
Fans from Atletico Paranaense and Vasco da Gama charged each other during Sunday’s match in the city of Joinville. Graphic footage showed rival team supporters kicking and punching each other. The police had to fire rubber bullets to stop the fighting.
Fans began the fight at the stadium 17 minutes into the match
when Atletico PR was leading 1-0, according to AP. The clashes
got so violent that a military helicopter landed on the football
pitch to take away one of the injured, who was reported to be in
coma.
Military police have landed a helicopter on the pitch. Game taking place in Joinville because of previous fighting pic.twitter.com/wSktg5GNhG
— Ed Malyon (@eaamalyon) December 8, 2013
Vasco club director Antonio Peralta, said, “We have one fan
in a coma, and a supporter of the other side is dead. Or so I’ve
heard,” the Mirror Football reported.
“This is not a circus, it is recreation, a sporting event that
has to bring joy and not death. At Vasco we do not accept
that,” Peralta said.
The doctors however refuted reports of the death, saying they
treated one injured man at the stadium and hospitalized two in
serious condition, while another one was flown out by helicopter.
“We saw a young lad lying down, getting kicked, being hit by
blocks of wood. He is a human being. This needs to stop. We asked
them to stop, and they did not listen to us,” Atletico
defender Luiz Alberto told the Mirror.
“It's sad, I'm speechless. I saw a guy lying down, I don't know
what happened,” Vasco da Gama midfielder Wendell told AP.
“We became upset because next year we will have a World Cup and
the whole world sees something like this.”
Law enforcement was not present in the stadium during the match
as state law in Santa Catarina prohibits police from being used
at a “private event.”
“A football match like this usually demands 80, 150 and 200
men working exclusively on it. Men that we could be using
elsewhere, taking part on other operations and protecting the
city,” a police officer explained to Radio Globo. “The
police force allocated to the match is going to work exclusively
outside the stadium. Inside, only private security hired by the
teams.”
"We are having a World Cup here next year. It's a shame that this
kind of stuff still happens,” Luis Alberto told TV
Bandeirantes, according to goal.com. "I saw a fan being
beaten until he passed out. I've never seeing anything like this
in my 20-year career. "
The match is important for both teams as Atletico Paranaense is
trying to secure a spot in Copa Libertadores and Vasco da Gama is
trying to avoid demotion.