On Sunday, players left the field as a flare thrown on the field by football fans burnt on it during a match between Universidad de Chile and Universidad Catolica in the local tournament held at the Ester Roa Stadium in Concepcion. Fans hurled flares and fireworks onto the field, causing the match to be suspended.
Authorities say that several people were hurt by the fireworks thrown into the crowd. They hit a match official, a cameraman, and even a match official. The match was suspended to ensure the safety of all attendees. As such incidents have been reported in the previous, it is always considered that these local rivals’ games are feisty. Several incidents of poor behavior by fans were reported.
Martin Parra, the goalkeeper of Universidad de Chile, was injured in his ear by fireworks when he played against the same opponent. He is currently recovering in hospital. The incident happened immediately after Catolica scored in the second leg of the quarter-final to tie the tie at 1-1. The referee ended the match with just four minutes remaining.
U de Chile demanded the football federation to give Catolica the “harshest penalty”, as the original game was supposed to be played with no fans. The police said that they had arrested two people at the stadium following the incident. We may see similar stories after the suspects are identified.
The most violent football incidents ever
Millions of people around the world refer to football as the “beautiful game.” However, over its long history it has also shown a darker side. The fan bases of many of the biggest football clubs in the world are filled with thugs, hooligans and other violent elements. These fan bases have caused some of the worst moments in the history.
Francesco Totti’s attack on Mario Balotelli reeked of malice. Totti was tired of playing after Roma lost to Inter Milan during the Coppa italia. He decided to leave the field as quickly as possible, by giving Balotelli the strongest kick to the back legs. Totti later clarified his attack, stating that Balotelli said things about him and Rome that he didn’t appreciate. Totti did apologize, but fortunately Balotelli was not injured.
It was not a physical fight, but the incident between Zinedine and Marco Materazzi is still one of the most controversial in football history. Zinedine Zidane lost his temper in the World Cup Final’s second extra-time half when France and Italy were tied at 1-1. He then delivered one of the most vicious headbutts to Marco Materazzi. Materazzi was the only one to have the last laugh, as his team won the World Cup in penalties.
