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Barristas throwing fireworks during the match between Universidad de Chile and Universidad Católica, played on April 30, 2023 at the Ester Roa stadium in Concepción (Chile). Marco Vazquez/Photosport (AP)
Violence continues to plague Chilean football, increasingly alienating spectators who must escape from the ultra groups of fans. The search for solutions to a problem that seems chronic has led to measures, including sanctions, such as those applied to the Universidad de Chile club, one of the most popular in the South American country, which in one of its key matches of the season will not be allowed to have male fans in the stands.
The cast of blue shirt – which was born under the eaves of the University of Chile, the main public house of studies in the nation – has received a punishment from the Court of Discipline of the National Association of Professional Football (ANFP) for the serious incidents carried out by a group of its fans during the so-called university classic played against Universidad Católica on April 30, which had to be suspended due to the launching of fireworks and other pyrotechnic elements to the field of the Ester Roa stadium in Concepción, south of Santiago.
According to the punishment, the squad led by Argentine coach Mauricio Pellegrino must play without an audience in the stadium where they play at home. The fifth match, which will be the superclásico against Colo Colo, will be open to women and children under 12 years of age, but not men.
The origin of the punishment of Universidad de Chile
On April 30, the U received the Catholic University, its classic rival for more than six decades in national tournaments, in the city of Concepción, almost 400 kilometers south of the capital Santiago de Chile. The Blues – who do not have their own stadium – had to move there because the National Stadium, a stronghold they usually use for their home matches, is in the process of being remodeled for the Pan American and Parapan American Games in Santiago 2023.
The duel with the crusaders – nickname given to the team representing the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile – was played for only 32 minutes. A faction of Los de Abajo, the name given to the barra brava of the University of Chile, launched fireworks and firecrackers on the playing field, in protest of the decision of the authorities to prevent the entry of animation elements such as canvases and flags. The violent action directly affected an assistant referee and a cameraman from TNT Sports Chile, the official signal of Chilean football matches, who suffered acoustic injuries from pyrotechnics. In addition, it was reported that a journalist from La Magia Azul, a radio program in favor of the institution itself, was beaten by the barristas. Given this, the sports judge Francisco Gilabert decided to suspend the fight due to the lack of guarantees and security.
Endless violence
The chaos in the university classic installed again the debate on violence in the stadiums, a phenomenon that was installed with force in the fields of Chilean soccer since the beginning of the 2000s and that has left dozens injured. During those years, the so-called Law of Violence in the Stadiums was developed, which proved to be ineffective in confronting organizations that also participated in illicit activities such as drug trafficking.
In 2011, in the first government of former President Sebastián Piñera (2010-2014), the creation of the Safe Stadium plan was announced. Under the aegis of the Ministry of the Interior, the entity was to be in charge of coordination between the organizers of sporting events, local government authorities and Carabineros, in order to ensure the normal development of football matches. After almost a decade, the initiative has shown little relevance, since the level of violence that has been observed around Chilean football has not decreased.
Match against Colo Colo without men
The ANFP Tribunal analyzed the background and pointed to the responsibility of Universidad de Chile, the team that exercised the locality. He also considered that inside the affected stadium there were only followers of the lay university cast, so he rejected applying any measure against Catholic University.
The ruling of the instance of sports justice indicated that the U will have to play without its fans in the stands the next four games, which will face Cobresal, Palestino, O'Higgins and Curicó Unido. The novelty was the decision taken for the fifth meeting, where the students must receive their maximum rival, Colo Colo, in the superclásico. According to the resolution, this mourning may be "attended by women and children, whose ages do not exceed 12 years of age."
The particular decision could have legal and economic effects. The excluded men could allege discrimination – according to comments in the heated debate on the matter – while Azul Azul, the sports corporation that manages the institution, would suffer a significant economic loss in one of the matches that generates the most revenue throughout the year. For the same reason, it is likely that the decision will be appealed.
The Brazilian case
The punishment applied against the Universidad de Chile club is unprecedented in local football, but it does have an international reference. This is the Brazilian team Athletico Paranaense, which at the beginning of this year was punished with the absence of men for its match against Foz do Iguaçu for the Paranaense Championship. The punishment originated from an event that occurred in 2022, when Furacão fans violently confronted Coritiba fans.
The initial sanction for the team was a match without spectators in its stadium, but after an appeal to the Court of Sports Justice of Paraná (TJD-PR) women and children under 12 years old were allowed to enter the sports venue. To encourage public attendance, free tickets were given, which could be exchanged for a contribution in food for the poorest families in the state of Paraná.
