Police seize bazookas after Colombian soccer final ends with on-field brawl

The Colombian Cup final ended in chaos after on-field riots left 59 people injured and police seized weapons from brawling fans

Atletico Nacional took on Deportivo Independiente Medellin (DIM) in the final at Estadio Atanasio Girardot on Wednesday evening, ending with a 1-0 victory for Nacional. The two Medellin clubs are city rivals and violence erupted soon after the final whistle.

The Athletic reports that both sets of fans invaded the field and forced the Nacional players to flee in the midst of their trophy celebrations. Footage shared online shows the extent of the on-field violence, resulting in 59 people sustaining injuries.

“It was necessary to apply the graduated use of force, to help prevent the occupation of the pitch by the fans, to control outbreaks of public order disturbances and to guarantee the safety of citizens attending the event ,” local police commander WIlliam Castano told Teleantioquia.

“During the operation, we seized flares, bazookas with more than 300 rounds, more than 20 boxes of firecrackers, and other dangerous items.”

Of the 59 injuries, seven were police officers. In total, more than 1,100 police officers were involved in the security of the 40,000 fans in attendance.

Speaking after the game Medellin’s Secretary of Security, Manuel Villa Mejia, insisted that there had been no policing failure or extenuating circumstances for the violence that broke out. He said: “Those on the pitch behaved like criminals and must be treated as such.”

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