Liga

Liga MX President Mikel Arriola announced he is going to come down hard on Queretaro F.C., including potentially disaffiliation.

Barriers designed to keep the Queretaro and Atlas fans apart appear to have broken down. The scene at Estadio Corregidora in Queretaro was unreal and unlike anything most have ever seen. Arriola also did not rule out the possibility of removing Queretaro from Liga MX.

Arrests and league sanctions are expected as Mexican soccer grapples with one of the darkest days in its history after violence between supporters of Atlas ...

Meanwhile, the Queretaro state secretary said she would be reviewing the existing stadium loan agreement between the state and soccer club in the case there has been a failure to comply with the contract. Queretaro club president Gabriel Solares said in a March 6 press conference that there were 600 security personnel at the game based on existing rules and protocols that determine the exact security count. The league later confirmed that the private security company did not have the personnel to react to the situation. He accused the stadium security of working in tandem with the Queretaro supporters who orchestrated the attack. "The Gallos [Queretaro] ownership group and institutions will have to respond for the events," Kuri said on March 5. There is a history of incidents between the Queretaro and Atlas supporter groups, with past clashes as recent as 2013, 2010 and 2007, according to reports. He also indicated there were others who perished "assassinated," accusing stadium security of allowing Queretaro fans into the Atlas visiting supporter section from both sides to entrap them. For that reason, the league is taking new steps to manage supporters groups and stadium security: But the violence followed them, and the Queretaro-Atlas match was eventually suspended in the 63rd minute. (The franchise could also move to another city, in which case the home supporters ban will only run for one year instead of three.); Liga MX owners met March 8 in an extraordinary session called by league president Mikel Arriola, who has promised to mete out exemplary punishment and reassess the relationship of clubs with their supporters groups. As of March 8, there were no official reports of deaths from the incidents which left 26 hospitalized with five in serious condition and one in critical condition.

Mexico is left looking for answers after conflicting reports of injuries and death.

If Liga MX has any common sense, Querétaro and Atlas shouldn’t play another match for the remainder of the season. After each of the past instances of violence, Liga MX, Querétaro, and Atlas failed to step in to implement adequate safety protocols, so the concerns of Commissioner Arriola rings hollow. Guerrero put a permanent end to the game as the fans overtook the field, and the violence grew out of control.