A Superclasico
We have heard of the El Clasicos, the games between Real Madrid and Barcelona and the kind of interest and passion the el clasicos generate, not only in Spain but across the world. But there is something even bigger than this. The Superclasicos. The games played out between arch rivals Boca Juniors and River Plate in the Argentine League and more so between eternal rivals Brazil and Argentina.
A Superclasico took place yet again at the epochal Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on 22nd November 2023.
All the Wrong Reasons
The FIFA World Cup‘26 qualifier between the two South American giants, unfortunately became a talking point, not for the quality of play but for crowd trouble, ruthless action by the police, a lot of chaos and a very angry Lionel Messi.
Trouble Right At The Start
The match had huge importance for both teams as they had lost their previous matches. Argentina had gone down to Uruguay and Brazil had lost to Columbia. Brazil struggling in the middle of the table were desperate for a win and the Maracana was the ideal setting for a revenge to their Copa America loss to Argentina last year. The teams trudged into the arena and as the national anthems were being played out a scuffle erupted between the rival fans.
An Angry Messi Walks Out
The baton wielding police immediately took action to control the situation, but their ire appeared to be more directed towards the Argentine fans, who bore the brunt of their batons. Seeing what was happening in the stands, Messi and other players appealed for calm and were particularly upset with gross use of force on their countrymen. An extremely angry Messi left the field with his team. “ We’re not playing, we’re leaving “, were his words as he briskly walked away to the locker rooms. Emiliano Martinez, the Argentine goal keeper, even tried to jump into the stands and save a few of the Argentine fans, but was in right earnest, held back. His action could have further triggered an already risky situation.
Otamendi Ensures An Argentina Win
When the players left the field, a bit of calm prevailed and the situation was brought under control. The match resumed after a delay of 30 minutes. Otamendi with a lovely header, scored for the World Champions in the 63rd minute and sealed the match. Brazil went down to another defeat and are now placed 6th on the table, making their qualification a bit tricky this time.
FIFA Puts In Strong Words
The events which transpired at the Maracana did not go down well with FIFA and other Football Associations. The security measures at the stadium, the use of force and alleged negligence on the part of the event organisers came under heavy criticism. The situation could have spilled into something staggering and extremely dangerous.
Need to Curb Emotions
The fans too need to be pulled up for aggressive and intolerant behaviour, which has been a problem across the world, particularly during superclasicos and other high stake games. Emotions do get involved, but then violence just cannot be accepted. Eventually, it’s just a game.
Read Quick, Read Better @ rizkhan.in