Chaotic soccer brawl sees 17 despatched off in violent scenes as police compelled to make use of tear gasoline
After a Copa Bolivia match ended in a 2-2 draw, chaos ensued as punches were thrown in a mass brawl that forced police to intervene with tear gas to restore order
Police had to resort to tear gas to disperse a violent brawl that resulted in 17 men being sent off after a cup match in South America.
The pandemonium broke out following a 2-2 draw between Bolivian teams Blooming and Real Ocuro, with the former progressing to the Copa Bolivia quarterfinals.
Blooming, playing away from home, advanced after securing a 2-1 victory in the first leg. However, instead of celebrating their triumph, tempers flared post-match.
According to Bolivian outlet El Potosi, punches were thrown, with Oruro star Sebastian Zeballos needing to be held back by opposition players before breaking free and shoving others.
His teammate, Julio Vila, was similarly enraged and threw the punches that ignited the chaos. Oruro coach Marcelo Robledo was equally incensed and reportedly confronted a member of the Bolivian national team’s coaching staff.
Robledo ended up falling backwards after being pushed, with reports suggesting he was hospitalised due to a shoulder injury and a head blow.
A squad of 20 police officers had to step in, using tear gas to quell the violent scenes. Blooming coach Mauricio Soria instructed his players to retreat to the dressing room to cool down.
The official match report indicates that seven Blooming players were sent off, while Oruro lost four. Both teams’ coaches and their assistants also received red cards, bringing the total number of dismissals to an astonishing 17.
A minimum of six players will face bans for the rest of the tournament after Blooming progressed to the semi-finals.
Gabriel Valverde, Richet Gómez, Franco Posse, Roberto Melgar, César Romero, and Luis Suárez were all shown cards for violent behaviour during the fracas.
César Menacho was dismissed for using offensive language from the sidelines. The forward was also seen actively participating in the brawl.
Raúl Gómez, Julio Vila, Yerco Vallejos and Eduardo Alvarez were sent off for Oruro, but Zeballos avoided punishment despite instigating the unpleasant scenes.
Additional penalties could be handed out once referee Renán Castillo submits the supplementary report to the Sports Disciplinary Tribunal.
This isn’t the first instance of physical confrontation involving these teams. Blooming experienced another fight when they played against Bolivar just a few weeks prior.
It’s also the second occasion that Oruro have witnessed a fight spill onto their athletics track: last year, the team was involved in heated scenes during their relegation play-off against Royal Pári.
