Brazil’s World Cup qualifying match against Argentina was delayed Tuesday night as ugly scenes of violence erupted in the stands.
The soccer game at the Maracana Stadium in Rio De Janeiro began 27 minutes later than scheduled as baton-wielding police tried to break up fights among spectators that broke out within minutes of the pre-match national anthems.
Bits of seats and other objects were thrown during the melee and at least one fan left the stadium with blood streaming from his head, according to the Associated Press.
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“There is a history of confrontation here,” Col. Vagner Ferreira, the most senior police officer at the stadium, told SporTV. He said that organizers had failed to ensure there was a sufficient barrier between opposing sets of fans and defended the actions of police.
“At first we spoke to them. Then, we had to use our batons,” Ferreira said. “There was no lethal force involved, no rubber bullets, no tear gas. This was a very technical approach.”
Warning: Graphic video
Reigning world champions Argentina went on to beat their rivals 1-0.
Argentine captain Lionel Messi, who had led his teammates in trying to calm fans during the clashes, said afterward that he believed there “could have been a tragedy” during the violence.
“It was bad because we saw how they were beating people,” the 36-year-old said, according to the BBC. He added: “You think about the families, the people who are there, who don’t know what’s going on and we were more concerned about that than playing a match that, at that point, was of secondary importance.”
