Boca coach: supporters of Copa Libertadores victims of violence destroyed Argentina's reputation

From Richard Martin

MADRID (Reuters) – Violence by the Juicer around the Copa Libertadores final has ruined the reputation of Argentina and South America and has clouded the exploits of Argentine football, said Friday. Boca Juniors coach Guillermo Barros Skelotto.

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Boca will meet his traditional rivals, River Plate, in Madrid on Sunday in the Copa Libertadores return leg, which will draw the Champions League to Europe.

River drew 2-2 with Boca in the first leg on November 11, but the second leg was moved from Buenos Aires to Spain after several Boca players were injured when supporters attacked their bus. team before the match at Montcomenthal Stadium on November 24th.

While the Madrid police carried out the largest security operation ever organized for a football match in the Spanish capital, attention is now focused on the risk of violence among Argentine supporters, while the speech about the game has declined.

"Today, we were supposed to talk about how River and Boca put Argentina on top of the summit, we are talking about violence rather than what both teams have achieved this season," he said. said Skelotto at a press conference Friday.

"Unfortunately, we did not learn from the mistakes we made before and ended up destroying the reputation of Argentina and South America," he said.

The Bucca bus attack last month was not an isolated event in Argentine football and was a reminder of their Libertadores Cup match in 2015, when River players were attacked with pepper.

The Argentine group "Save the Soccer" has announced the death of 328 people at football matches, including 92 in the last ten years.

Skelotto said the move to Europe should be a turning point in the fight against violence in football.

"What happened two weeks ago often happens in Argentina and South America, but I think that should change, because the absence of match against Bucca in Argentina is very worrying", said Skelotto, who won four titles at the Libertadores Cup.

"It's time to take action and start beating examples, we have to organize matches of this type in Argentina or South America and show that we have matured."

(Reuters)