Eight members of the Boca Juniors delegation were detained by the Brazilian police as a consequence of the clashes which erupted following the team’s controversial Copa Libertadores exit.
Mayhem ensued at the Mineirao following the Copa Libertadores Round-of-16 tie between Atletico Mineiro and Boca Juniors. Buenos Aires side lost the tie on penalties following two controversial goalless draws, following which tempers raged inside the stadium, resulting in clashes between the team and the police.
Boca had two goals ruled out in either leg of their Libertadores RO16 tie against Atletico – the second one in peculiar circumstances after a VAR check. The tie extended to a penalty shootout, where Boca lost 3-1 after Mineiro goalkeeper Everson blasted the ball into the roof of the net.
“This hurts, we feel bad. CONMEBOL needs to look at the refereeing,”
Boca midfielder Diego Gonzalez said after the match as per ESPN.
Meanwhile, reports emerged stating that Boca Juniors’ players and staff tried to enter the home dressing room after the game, but were repelled by the police.
Video later emerged of Boca delegates throwing barricades towards their opponents during the post-match clashes. Consequently, the police detained eight members of the delegation, who were then asked to give their statements regarding the situation.
Atletico Mineiro tweeted after the confrontation that the police had filed a report on assault and property damages but that no Boca player was likely to be charged. Meanwhile, at least one Atletico player was reported to be badly injured in the clash.
The player in question – Savio Moreira de Oliveira – is 17 years of age and was pictured with injuries below his eye and nose.
Both the clubs are expected to be sanctioned following the clashes. It remains to be seen how that affects Atletico Mineiro, with the club securing passage to the next round. The Brazilian outfit will play either River Plate or Argentinos Juniors, depending upon the outcome of their match. The two teams played out a 1-1 draw in the first leg.
