Violence forces Copa Sudamericana game abandonment

A Copa Sudamericana match in Buenos Aires was abandoned after violent clashes between fans, with some being stripped and beaten.

Ten people were seriously injured and more than 300 arrested at Wednesday's last-16 second leg between Argentine hosts Independiente and Universidad de Chile, according to local media.

A stun grenade was among the objects thrown by spectators while one fan fell from the top tier of a stand at the Estadio Libertadores de America in the Avellaneda area of the Argentine capital.

Violence flared at half-time as objects including toilets, sinks, pieces of masonry and seats were thrown from the away section on to the section below them housing home supporters.

Home fans then appeared to enter the away section early in the second half, attacking visiting supporters and forcing them to flee.

"Nothing justifies a lynching. Nothing," said Chile president Gabriel Boric on social media., external

"What happened in Avellaneda between the fans of Independiente and Universidad de Chile is wrong in too many ways, from the violence among the supporters to the evident irresponsibility in the organisation. Justice must determine those responsible."

Jose Antonio Viera-Gallo, the Chilean Ambassador to Argentina, told Chilean radio station Cooperativa: "There are injuries on both sides, some with knives. There is at least one Chilean seriously injured, hospitalised, a person in his 30s."

Universidad de Chile director Daniel Schapira told Chilean radio station ADN: "We're always experiencing the same thing, it's desperate. It's a social, cultural issue; this is much more than football. They gave us 3,500 tickets and look what's happening.

"Terrible, this is unbelievable. It's also an organisational issue: they can't put the U fans above the Independiente fans. Everyone has problems here; this has become a circus."

Independiente president Nestor Grindetti told TyC Sports that the safety precautions taken "were logical" and that the number of tickets given to the visiting team was agreed with Conmebol, South American football's governing body.

Grindetti added: "[It was] reprehensible behavior from the U supporters. They destroyed our bathrooms, took artefacts and threw them in the stands. Violence I'd never seen before.

"The Independiente fans didn't deserve such a thing. It's clear the problem started and continued with just one fanbase."

The game was initially suspended, with players leaving the field in the second half with the game level at 1-1 and the Chilean side leading 2-1 on aggregate.

Conmebol said the match had been cancelled because of "the lack of security guarantees from the local club and local security authorities".

It added that the case would be referred to its judicial bodies and that information regarding the events would be sent to its disciplinary committee.

Chile president Boric added: "Now our priority as a government is to know the condition of our compatriots who have been attacked, ensure their immediate medical attention, and guarantee that those who are detained have their rights respected."

Independiente's Chile midfielder Felipe Loyola said on social media:, external "This level of violence cannot be tolerated. I feel devastated.

"It's a huge shame. I still can't believe what I saw today. This isn't football; sport isn't violence."