Peru stadium shut following fan death
Reuters - Tuesday 27 September 2011, 10:36
LIMA - Peru's biggest stadium
has bee n closed while authorities investigate an
incident in which a fan fell to his death from an executive box
during a match at the weekend.
The 23-year-old Alianza Lima fan died at the end of
Saturday's derby game against arch-rivals Universitario, who
were hosting the match at their Monumental stadium.
Witnesses said the victim fell from a VIP box when
Universitario fans burst in and attacked the occupants, which
included children, in an incident which shocked the country.
They said there was no policing in that part of the stadium.
"We're going to close the stadium until we have investigated
what has happened and this deplorable act has been punished,"
Oscar Benavides, the mayor of the Lima district of Ate, told
Peruvian television.
The Peruvian football league (ADFP) also banned
Universitario from using the stadium until further notice.
"The directors of the ADFP have agreed that, until the
disciplinary tribunal makes a decision, no more matches will be
scheduled in the Monumental stadium," said the league on its
website.
The Monumental, opened in 2000, has a capacity of around
80,000.
It was barred from hosting derby matches for several years
after incidents at a previous Alianza-Universitario derby.
Despite being the country's largest stadium, Peru still
stage most international matches at the more central National
stadium, which has recently been modernised.
Universtario's official website made no mention of the incident on Tuesday although it posted an
item, apparently before the match, promising "Security will be
guaranteed for the Clasico."
There were several insulting and apparently uncensored
comments from users posted at the bottom of the page after the
incident.