La Derecha Diario Key audience: Independiente and Universidad de Chile present their defenses before CONMEBOL
After the incidents in Avellaneda, both clubs will seek to defend their positions to determine their futures in the Copa Sudamericana and the possible sanctions they will receive
Almost two weeks after the incidents, the case of Independiente and Universidad de Chile is entering a decisive stage. CONMEBOL canceled the second leg of the round of 16 that was being played at Estadio Libertadores de América due to the serious incidents between supporters of both teams, and this Tuesday a key hearing will take place to determine how the series will continue.
The meeting will begin at 3:30 p.m. at the Luque headquarters, where representatives of both clubs will appear before the Disciplinary Commission composed of Paraguayan Eduardo Gross Brown, Venezuelan Amarilis Belisario, and Brazilian Lucas Ribeiro, and will have a maximum duration of three hours. Chilean Cristóbal Valdés and Argentine Jorge Ignacio Moreno will not participate in order to avoid suspicions of partiality.
Since that night to forget, the presidents Néstor Grindetti (Independiente) and Michael Clark (Universidad de Chile) have exchanged accusations regarding responsibilities, a stance they have also maintained in subsequent reports and statements.
The Independiente delegation in Paraguay is led by Grindetti, accompanied by vice president Carlos Montaña, general secretary Daniel Seoane, the club's attorney Maximiliano Walker, and sports law specialist Ariel Reck. The main objective, although difficult to achieve, is to play the remaining 45 minutes of the suspended match.
The arguments of each club
On the Argentine side, Independiente will argue that the incidents were started by Chilean supporters, that CONMEBOL's recommendation not to sell tickets under the visiting stand arrived only 24 hours before the match, and that it would be a "terrible precedent" to favor the team whose supporters caused violence in a series that is still open.
Meanwhile, Universidad de Chile will accept responsibility for its supporters, although it will emphasize that it was a "tiny group" in a foreign country. In addition, it will argue that Independiente supporters and the police themselves provoked the reaction, and that security was the responsibility of the home club, something that was not guaranteed.
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