Police forced to fire rubber bullets as fan dies in football violence

A brutal brawl between opposing supporters has erupted during a football match in Brazil just days after the World Cup draw took place for next year’s tournament in the same country.

Mon, 09 Dec, 2013 - 07:29

@peterodwyer1

A brutal brawl between opposing supporters has erupted during a football match in Brazil just days after the World Cup draw took place for next year’s tournament in the same country.

It is being reported that one supporter has died and another three are in a coma as a result of the violence.

Fans of Atletico Paranaense and Vasco da Gama attacked and savagely beat each other, despite pleas from the players to stop.

The appalling scenes forced the referee to suspend play with Atletico leading by a goal to nil at the Joinville Arena in the southern state of Santa Catarina. Police used rubber bullets and even landed a helicopter on the pitch in their attempts to quell the violence.

Supporters attacked en masse - dashing across the stands to confront each other early in the first half, as you can see in the clip below.

(Some of the scenes are particularly upsetting, viewer discretion is advised.)

(via aluta silva)

The violence marred the final day of the Brasiliero – the Samba nation’s premier football competition – and will raise further concerns over the country’s ability to successfully host the 2014 World Cup.

Players were left visibly upset by the violence, with Atletico’s Luiz Alberto particularly distraught.

(via Júnior L)

"They were trying to escape the Atletico fans. We saw a young lad laying down, getting kicked, being hit by blocks of wood,” Alberto told reporters.

“He is a human being. This needs to stop. We asked them to stop, and they did not listen to us, “he added.

Despite the presence of a military helicopter on the pitch just minutes earlier, hundreds of police and utter carnage in the stands, the incredible decision to resume play was later taken.

Photo of the fight among soccer fans. Horrible scenes on TV really. Photo: Fotoarena pic.twitter.com/ZYFTw9cnpS
— Kety Shapazian (@KetyBrazil) December 8, 2013