Soccer league officials announced punishments and changes to the game in response to a recent violent incident at a soccer match in Queretaro, Mexico.
A Liga MX match between Queretaro and Atlas on Saturday, March 5 devolved into chaos when supporters of both teams clashed violently. Official reports say 26 people were injured and required hospitalization; three remain in critical condition.
Atlas, the defending champions of Mexico’s top soccer league, led 1-0 in the 63rd minute of the match at Queretaro’s home arena, Estadio Corregidora. Then, fans began to sprint onto the field to escape fights that had broken out between the rivals’ supporters in the stands.
Referee Fernando Guerrero initially suspended the match in hopes of restoring order. However, the fights only continued to spread across the stadium. Guerrero then ended the game for good as more fans sought safety on the field.
Pictures and videos on social media showed people being beaten, kicked, and dragged, while others were left lying on the ground unconscious and covered in blood.
Some fans were seen picking up chairs and other objects and hitting rival supporters with them. Pictures showed families running across the field to escape the violent brawls.
Liga MX suspended all games scheduled the next day, March 6, and the league’s president, Mikel Arriola, issued a statement.
“Inadmissible and unfortunate violence in the Corregidora stadium in Queretaro. Those responsible for the lack of security in the stadium will be punished in an exemplary manner. The safety of our players and fans is [our] priority. We will keep reporting.”
The soccer association for North and Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF) also issued a statement on the incident.
“The shocking acts of vandalism and violence that occurred last night in Queretaro, Mexico, have no place in football or society. The thoughts of everyone at CONCACAF are with the victims of these awful events and their families,” CONCACAF said.
“We call on the local authorities to fully investigate these criminal acts and to hold accountable those who have tarnished our game,” CONCACAF added.
FIFA, soccer’s international governing body, also released a statement.
“FIFA is shocked at the tragic incident that took place at La Corregidora stadium in the city of Queretaro during the fixture between Queretaro and Atlas,” it read. “The violence was unacceptable and intolerable. 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.”
On Tuesday, March 8, Queretaro authorities announced that 14 arrests had been made relating to the violence. Those arrested face potential charges, including violence in a sporting event and attempted homicide.
In addition, any person found to have participated in the violence on March 5 will be banned for life from all Mexican soccer stadiums.
On Tuesday, Mexican Football Federation president Yon de Luisa and Arriola announced punishments for the clubs and changes to future games.
Queretaro will have to play all its home games in an empty stadium for one year. Queretaro fans will not be able to attend away games for one year, and Atlas fans will not be allowed at away games for six months.
Queretaro’s youth and women’s clubs will also play home games in an empty stadium.
Liga MX fined Queretaro’s ownership group (Gabriel Solares, Adolfo Ríos, Greg Taylor, and Manuel Velarde) $70,000 and handed them a five-year ban from all league-related activities. Additionally, the league ordered the owners to sell the club back to its previous owners, Grupo Caliente, which owns fellow Liga MX club, Tijuana.
Liga MX will give Grupo Caliente until December 31, 2022 to sell the club to new owners, or the league will take control of Queretaro.
De Luisa said Liga MX considered dissolving the Queretaro soccer club completely but decided against it to avoid impacting the ongoing 2022 season. Additionally, five officials were suspended, including police, civil defense employees, and three people responsible for planning and preparations.
From now on, state, local, and municipal police will provide all security at Liga MX games instead of the private security often used at games.
Queretaro authorities said some police were on duty at the Corregidora on Saturday. However, private officers provided most of the security at last Saturday’s game, and they have now had their contracts revoked.
Other new measures were also announced. Beginning with the 2022-23 season, all Liga MX teams will have facial recognition technology at their stadiums. Clubs will also be required to issue fan IDs to register and identify members of club fan groups, known as barras.
“Starting today, measures will be implemented that will mark a before and after in the protocols that must be observed and followed,” Arriola said at a news conference. “We are facing the problem head-on, with the aim of changing this negative image from the previous weekend.”
The league also ruled that the match would be recorded as a 3-0 win for Atlas.
Arriola spoke with ESPN and said that Mexico’s 2026 World Cup hosting rights would have been in jeopardy had there not been a swift and stern response to the violence.
“It [hosting the 2026 World Cup] was at risk if Mexico didn’t resolve and didn’t show a capacity of resolving our own industry’s problems,” Arriola told ESPN.
Mexico is scheduled to host the 2026 World Cup, along with Canada and the United States.
Queretaro manager Hernán Cristante said that his players were threatened in the days following the violence.
“My players have received death threats, they don’t feel safe, their wives are thinking of fleeing,” Cristante told reporters on Monday. “We didn’t do anything, [the players] helped people, they opened the dressing room doors, they found ways to help.
“It wouldn’t be out of place if someone didn’t want to continue [playing], the club is heartbroken,” Cristante added.
Meanwhile, players of Atlas released a video on Monday saying they were “saddened by the events that occurred” while condemning the incident and hoping that it never happens again.
Atlas manager Diego Cocca added: “We grew up with and believe in the values of sport, which is why we are here together, because we want football without violence and in peace.”
