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Football : Police car set alight, referee trapped in Peru riot
Posted by:jack 36 days ago • Discuss
LIMA, Dec 1 - A police car was set alight and the
referee trapped in his dressing room for nearly three hours
during a riot at a Peruvian second division match.Media reports said around 100 people were injured in
Sunday’s game between Sport Huamanga and Sport Huancayo in the
Andean city of Ayacucho.Television showed dozens of fans breaking down fencing,
invading the pitch and overturning a vehicle which appeared to
be an ambulance.Pictures also showed a police car in flames while referee
Alejandro Villanueva told the El Comercio newspaper he was
trapped in the stadium for nearly three hours.Huamanga won the Copa Peru tie 4-1 but were beaten on away
goals.The trouble started when Huancayo were awarded a free kick
as the hosts pressed for a decisive fifth goal.The referee was surrounded by furious Huamanga players and
needed protection from riot police, delaying play for nine
minutes.Play resumed but fans started throwing stones on to the
field, forcing the game to be abandoned.TEAR GAS
Fans then broke down the fencing and an estimated 200 people
invaded the pitch while the police, heavily outnumbered
according to the reports, used tear gas to try and control the
situation.Television showed police protecting the visiting team and a
member of the Huancayo coaching staff lying injured on the turf.The Copa Peru involves mainly semi-professional teams and
rewards the winners with a place in the top flight the following
year.Peruvian soccer is in a chaotic state and riots and fighting
are common at matches.Last week Peru were suspended from international competition
by ruling body FIFA because of a row between the national soccer
federation and the government.Writing by Brian Homewood in Buenos Aires, editing by Tony
Jimenez
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