THE COLUMN: Mexico, tragedy, sanctions and the World Cup in danger

The images of acts of vandalism in a soccer stadium in Mexico went around the world last weekend only behind, in proportion, those transmitted from the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The Mexican soccer authorities were forced this Wednesday to announce a “package” of sanctions not only to try to preserve the health of the national sport in that country, and of course the business, but also to ward off the threat of not being able to host, along with the United States and Canada, the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

FIFA has expressed being “dismayed” by the tragic incident because of the “unacceptable and intolerable” acts of violence.

The president of the Liga MX Mikel Arriola publicly acknowledged had they not responded quickly with sanctions, the venue for the 2026 World Cup could have been in danger.

The cries of discrimination produced by some sectors of the Mexican fans have already caused more than a dozen sanctions in recent years by FIFA and CONCACAF.

At first, to the scenes of brutal fights in the stands, bloodied fans, and the invasion of spectators to the pitch to continue the brawl there, announcements of several dozen dead were added on social networks last Saturday.

Thankfully, those reports were false as there were no deaths, luckily.

According to official reports, 26 people were injured in hospitals in Querétaro, about 220 km from Mexico City, site of the match between the local club and Atlas de Guadalajara on March 5.

With the exception of one victim who remains listed in serious condition, the rest have already been discharged. To date, 14 people have been arrested.

The Governor of the State, Mauricio Kurí, was following the incidents of the match at the Mexico City airport while waiting for a flight to Europe. When he saw those Dantesque images on television in his stadium, he immediately canceled the trip and returned to Querétaro.

Failures in security measures were pointed out as the first immediate causes of the tragedy carried out by the so-called “barras bravas” in a match considered in advance to be “high risk” due to the traditional rivalry of both clubs.

Those in charge of the protection operation were sanctioned, the Querétaro club punished by playing at home behind closed doors for one year and its leaders disqualified for five years. Those guilty of the extreme violence will receive a definitive veto to enter the stadium (regardless of possible measures by the courts). These were several among the measures adopted by the football authorities.

The tragic incidents will lead to a general review of security protocols in all stadiums in the country about an old problem. The sale of alcohol could be on the agenda as well.

In 2022, when the fans have begun to return to the stadiums after being away for two years due to COVID-19 concerns, several tragedies have marked the most universal of sports.

At the end of January, FIFA also had to send a message of dismay when eight people were crushed to death and 50 were injured in a human avalanche at a stadium in Cameroon where the local team was playing in an African Cup of Nations match.

One day after the serious incidents that took place in Mexico, the violence moved to Brazil. A massive fight between fans of Atlético Mineiro and Cruzeiro left at least one dead and one wounded by a gunshot hours before the match.

About 50 fans of both clubs staged a fight that was premeditated and organized through social networks, according to the Brazilian police (an element that could also be investigated by the police in the Querétaro case).

Brazilian soccer has seen an escalation in cases of violence in recent weeks, between fights between fans and even players.

As is also the case in England.

If there’s one thing everyone in English football can currently agree on, it’s the bewildering levels of disorder in this season’s games.

Rules are ignored, security measures are bypassed, and arrests are made regularly.

Fights between Tottenham and West Ham fans on two occasions. Projectiles launched from the stands at Goodison Park and Stamford Bridge and pyrotechnics from the stands at Bloomfield Road.

Pitch invaders at Norwich, Leicester and Arsenal (more than once). Trouble on the streets of Nottingham after the Leicester match and 18 arrests before, during and after the recent Middlesbrough-Derby match.

Just a sample of the incidents this season, according to The Guardian.

“There is a subculture that goes to soccer, mainly boys and anyone, from teenagers to 60 years old, who are looking for a transgressive experience. Watching football is just one element of what is important for the day.

“It’s all about getting absolutely drunk, singing a song, hanging out with your peers, expressing your identity, and coming back with a bunch of stories to get you through the work week,” writes Geoff Pearson, Professor of Criminal Law at the University of Manchester.

The pandemic and drug use are factors in the increase in disorder, the publication states. An observation to be taken into account by researchers in Mexico, and from FIFA.