Mexico bans away fans after football violence suspended match

Mexico City (AFP) – Mexico’s football league has banned away fans from stadiums following the weekend violence at a match that left 26 people needing hospital treatment, including three that are in a serious condition.

Fights broke out just after the hour mark of Saturday’s game between Queretaro and Atlas at La Corregidora stadium in the city of Queretaro.

As some fans, including families with children, tried to escape, the clashes spilled out onto the field of play, sending players running for cover.

“From today away fans will not be able to go to the stadiums,” Liga MX executive president Mikel Arriola said on Sunday.

The match was abandoned and the league also suspended Sunday’s remaining matches.

Saturday’s match quickly descended into chaos once fighting broke out between fans.

Unable to control the situation inside the ground, security guards opened the stadium doors to allow fans to get to safety.

But some instead continued to exchange blows, forcing the game to be stopped and sending the players to the changing rooms.

World football’s governing body FIFA hit out at the “unacceptable and intolerable” violence.

“FIFA joins the Mexican Football Association and Concacaf in condemning this barbaric incident and encouraging the local authorities to bring swift justice to those responsible,” FIFA said.

Queretaro state governor Mauricio Kuri said on Sunday that of the 26 people taken to hospital, three have been discharged, three were “in a serious condition, 10 are in a delicate state and the other 10 are not serious.”

Kuri criticized the security planning for the match and said there were insufficient police officers inside the ground who “did not act quickly enough.”

He also vowed to punish those responsible.