What happened on the night between Saturday and Sunday in the game between Cartaro and Atlas in the ninth round of the Mexican League, is one of the most horrific and horrific manifestations of violence in the history of world football.
"The blackest night in the history of Mexican football," newspaper and website headlines declared, "Terrorism in our football," others wrote.
The photos and videos circulated from the event are hard to watch, evoking painful memories of the Port Said riots in 2012, when al-Masri fans stormed al-Ahali fans in the Egyptian league, leaving 74 dead and more than 500 injured.
In the present case, there is quite a bit of misinformation about the number of victims, but the reports tell of about 20 people who came to watch a football game - and instead were stripped of their clothes and beaten mercilessly.
Mexico is a violent country.
Drug cartels do not resort to measures to achieve their goals, and every year about 35,000 homicides are registered in the country.
At the same time, football has always been considered a place of refuge.
An island of tranquility, an event that can be attended with family members and enjoy a sunny afternoon.
In recent years, there have been almost no unusual incidents of violence on the pitches, with until the current incident only an attempt to run over a fan outside the stadium in 2019 is remembered.
The last time fans broke onto the pitch and quarreled among themselves was in 2016, in a derby between Atlas and Chibas, and since then no violence has entered football stadiums.
Also yesterday, in the middle of the game in question, Cartaro's local police uploaded to Twitter a picture of fans sitting in their chairs, writing: "With the presence of police forces, the first half was conducted calmly and with a great atmosphere in the stands."
About a quarter of an hour later - the gates of hell opened.
In the 60th minute, with Atlas leading 0-1, the game became a battlefield.
Cartaro fans (apparently members of drug cartels who wanted to close an account) broke through fences and gates, pounced on Atlas fans and beat them with inhuman cruelty.
The police, who a few minutes earlier had boasted quietly, had not tried and could not stop the horror that was taking place there.
While fans were stripped of their clothes and beaten to unconsciousness, entire families tried to rescue their young children unscathed.
"They are barbarians, not fans"
To do this, they took off their shirts and fled to the players' tunnels.
Atlas and Cartaro are not historic rivals - Atlas has Chibas and Cartaro has San Luis - but there is animosity between the crowds, following past games in 2007 and 2010.
And yet, the rivalry has never slipped into such violent streaks, the most violent incident in the history of football in Mexico.
This tragedy shocked Mexican football.
In the meantime, as a first step, the continuation of the ninth cycle has been postponed, and the next steps that need to be taken are being considered.
Ten people have been arrested, and alongside the declaration by Governor Cartaro that there are no casualties, reports speak of at least 17.
The league's president, Mikel Ariola, said an investigation had been opened into the functioning of the local police and private security, and especially with regard to the conduct of the Ultras organizations that "are not football fans, they are barbarians who have no place in our football".
Ariola also said that the possibility of removing Cartaro from the league is being considered, but it will take time until we find out the consequences of this incident.
"Will they hold a World Cup here?"
The country's football commentators expressed grief and shame, describing the event as "the biggest stain in the history of football in Mexico."
Luis Roberto Alves, a former player and current commentator, wrote: "Their place, shameful and inhuman. There are no words that can explain this barbaric act. A black day for world sports, and especially for our football."
All over the world reacted to these events with astonishment, mentioning with concern that Mexico is one of the hosts of the 2026 World Cup, alongside the United States and Canada. "Do you want to hold a World Cup here?" Everyone needs to understand why this happened, and how to make sure that such a thing never happens again.
Violence in Brazil as well
Also in neighboring Brazil we saw a play that we do not want to see on and off the football fields.
According to state reports, a violent brawl took place in the match between Altico Miniero and Cruzeiro, which also included injuries.
Hinchas de Atlético Mineiro y Cruzeiro get involved in the preview of the match by the Champion Mineiro 🇧🇷.
The Military Police Confirmed a Death and a Hero of Bala.pic.twitter.com/iT33Q53g1O
- VarskySports (@VarskySports) March 6, 2022 Wrong?
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