Brazil registers escalation of cases of violence in football in a month

In the last month, Brazilian football has witnessed an escalation of cases of violence, some of them involving attacks on athletes and club employees.

Since February 12, when motorcycle courier and Palmeiras fan Dante Luiz Oliveira, 40, was shot dead in the vicinity of Allianz Parque after Palmeiras’ defeat in the Club World Cup final, there have been at least nine other records of violent episodes.

On the 24th, the bus carrying Bahia players to the duel with Sampaio Corrêa, for the Northeast Cup, was attacked with a bomb near the Fonte Nova Arena. The shrapnel from the explosion, which hit the rear windshield and a side window of the vehicle, ended up injuring goalkeeper Danilo Fernandes – who had injuries close to his eyes – and left-back Matheus Bahia.

On the same date, a van transporting Náutico players was attacked by fans of the club during the landing at Gilberto Freyre International Airport, in Recife. The alvirrubra team had just been eliminated in the first phase of the Copa do Brasil for Tocantinópolis.

Two days later, on February 26, a Saturday, three cases of violence occurred in state championship games across Brazil.

In Paranaense, the defeat of Paraná Clube by 3 to 1 to União Beltrão resulted in the relegation of the Paranistas to the second division, which provoked the ire of the fans present in Vila Capanema. Many invaded the lawn even before the final whistle and exchanged aggressions with athletes from the team, who were trying to defend themselves.

Later, Grêmio was heading to the Beira-Rio stadium, in Porto Alegre, for the classic against Internacional, when the vehicle was stoned. Paraguayan midfielder Mathías Villasanti was hit on the head by a stone and had to be taken to a hospital, where he was diagnosed with head trauma.

Grêmio informed the Gaucho Football Federation that it would not play the classic, and the match ended suspended. Villasanti is doing well and has returned to training with the Grêmio squad.

Also on the 26th, Futebol Clube Cascavel had its bus stoned outside the Willie Davids stadium, in Maringá, after a confrontation with the hosts for the Campeonato Paranaense. There were no injuries, according to the club.

In addition to the episodes involving players and team employees, the last month also recorded consecutive cases of fights between fans.

On the 23rd, a clash between Botafogo and Flamengo fans after a classic between the teams, in Rio de Janeiro, left two injured. The fight took place in the Flamengo neighborhood, south of the city, and ended with two people being detained.

This weekend, fan fights took place in at least three states: São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo.

In São Paulo, on Saturday (5), after São Paulo’s victory over Corinthians for the State Championship, São Paulo and Corinthians clashed at the Primavera-Interlagos station, on Line 9 of the CPTM (Companhia Paulista de Trens Metropolitanos). Four individuals were arrested.

This Sunday (6), a fight between Atlético and Cruzeiro in Belo Horizonte, hours before the classic for the Campeonato Mineiro, resulted in the death of Rodrigo Marlon Caetano Andrade, 25, a Cruzeiro fan who was shot in the confusion.

The classic between Flamengo and Vasco, also this Sunday, recorded violent episodes in Espírito Santo.

Flamenguistas and Vasco residents clashed in the neighborhood of Fátima, municipality of Serra, which is in the metropolitan region of Vitória. The case took place hours before the classic carioca.

wanted by sheet to manifest itself on the ladder of violence in Brazilian football, the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation) has not yet manifested itself.