1676256474 Violence in Colombian soccer A fan storms onto the field

Violence in Colombian soccer: A fan storms onto the field and hits Daniel Cataño, a Millonarios player

Violence in Colombian soccer A fan storms onto the field

Those who were waiting for the match between Millonarios and Deportes Tolima this afternoon witnessed an unusual scene. A local team fan jumped onto the field and punched Millonarios midfielder Daniel Cataño, who responded with a kick and ended up being sent off. The referee stopped the game this Sunday after moments of high tension.

At the Manuel Murillo Toro de Ibagué stadium, the game was about to start when Cataño was attacked from behind by a fan. After the punch, the player ran after the fan in the Tolima shirt and punched him as well. Referee Roldán gave a red card and the Millonarios players and coaching staff decided to leave the field.

Tolima’s stayed a few minutes and their president, César Camargo, accused the rivals of sabotaging the game. “Two reprehensible facts. The fan thing is spiraling out of control and must be prosecuted. And if a team withdraws from the field, it’s a boycott of the game and the sport, it’s not worth pressuring us like that,” Camargo told Win Sports.

According to local media, millionaires tried to negotiate the start of the game by asking the judge to reverse Cataño’s ejection, but when he refused, the team went to the dressing room amid insults from fans. After 40 minutes from the start of the incident, the game was abandoned. In a press release, Millonarios did not address the footballer’s sacking, assuring that they pulled out of the pitch because they didn’t feel safe. “It wasn’t wise to compromise his integrity. Acts of violence must be rejected.”

Millionaires captain David Macalister Silva spoke in the same vein. “This is football that suits us all and our safety, the coaching staff, the players, is above everything (…) We have to set a precedent so that we continue to educate ourselves as a society. We have to look out for each other.”

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The sports press reported yesterday that Cataño was rebuked at the door of the Concentration Hotel by Tolima fans, who continue to accuse him of missing a last penalty as a member of his team. Cataño was accused of gifting to the opposing team while playing for Tolima.

The Dimayor has not decided what happened at Manuel Murillo Toro this afternoon.

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