Racing experienced a night to forget during its visit to Peñarol for the first leg of the Copa Libertadores round of 16. Beyond the sporting result (1-0 defeat), the experience for the fans who traveled to the Estadio Campeón del Siglo was marked by unprecedented measures and a security operation that led to tension and violence.
By order of the Ministry of the Interior of Uruguay, the visiting fans were required to enter the stadium four hours before the start of the match and, once it ended, had to remain in their seats until 1:30 a.m., that is, two hours after the final whistle. In total, Academia's fans spent eight hours inside the venue.
The official explanation was "security reasons". However, upon leaving, incidents and police repression were reported, according to videos circulating on social media. In response to this situation, coach Gustavo Costas and president Diego Milito entered the field to find out what was happening and demand explanations.
The lead-up also featured a strict operation, as fans were transported in buses provided by the authorities, with no possibility of arriving in private cars or on foot. It was even warned that those who did not comply with the entry schedule would be escorted to the stadium, but with the match already underway.
"This is madness. We're in the stadium and we're not leaving until the last Racing fan leaves. We've never experienced anything like this", said Milito, who also noted that Peñarol's president was trying to communicate with the Ministry of the Interior to solve the situation, since among those detained were relatives of players and club officials.
Fans angry with the club's management
In videos shared by Academia supporters from the stands, chants against the management were heard, not just against Milito. "The Board, get the f... out" echoed in the silence of the stadium. Kevin Feldman and Diego Raiman were also targeted by the fans, while on social media, calls for the management to "do something more" multiplied.
Once the ban on leaving the stadium was lifted, fans began to descend the stairs chanting "Where is Milito", as a sign of dissatisfaction with the treatment received and in rejection of the club leadership's actions.
When is the second leg?
With the goal of overturning the aggregate score and securing a place in the Copa Libertadores quarterfinals, Racing will host Peñarol at the Cilindro de Avellaneda next Tuesday, August 19 at 9:30 p.m.
Although the difference is only one goal, the Uruguayan side proved to be a tough opponent, so Academia will have to make its home advantage count if it wants to stay in the competition.
