Violent clashes recorded outside stadium in Buenos Aires on November 24 ahead of soccer final

On November 24 hooligans from River Plate attacked a bus transporting players from the rival Boca Juniors team, breaking the vehicle’s windows and injuring players. The bus was approaching the “Monumental” stadium, located in the Nuñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires, where the final match for the Libertadores Cup was slated to take place. Clashes between River supporters and police were later recorded in the vicinity of the stadium. These incidents prompted soccer authorities to postpone the match for a few hours, later deciding to move it for November 25, and eventually deciding to postpone it again until further notice.

As previously assessed, important soccer events in Argentina are often followed by localized violence and scuffles between rival gangs, hooligans and police, as well as harassment of passersby. While these incidents are expected, the fact that police failed to shield the bus transporting Boca’s players sets a bad precedent ahead of the G20 Summit, especially since the bus could have arrived the stadium through an area less accessible to crowds. Although at the time of writing no new date for the final has been set, it is very likely that the match will take place after the G20, potentially between December 7-9.