Buenos Aires, Sept 24: Argentine Judge Mariano Berges lifted a ban on Argentine soccer on Tuesday (September 23) after a 15-day suspension on matches in the capital Buenos Aires. On September 09, the Argentina Football Association (AFA) decided to stop the entire soccer championship after 70 people were injured in crowd violence and which forced a first division match to be abandoned. "The decision to suspend soccer was made by a judge and now the judge has lifted that suspension and we are going to play on Sunday," said Carlos Navarro Montoya, a soccer player for Chacarita who had met with Berges along with several other players. The trouble broke out at the Apertura championship match between South American champions Boca Juniors and local rivals Chacarita Juniors at the famous Bombonera stadium on August 31.

The match was halted midway through the second half as Chacarita fans in the upper tier hurled objects at Boca supporters below them. Boca fans attempted to invade the Chacarita section and police used teargas to stop the trouble.


Argentine soccer fans are among the most passionate and colourful in the world but the sport has also been marred by a history of violence, mainly caused by notorious hardcore supporters known as "Barras Bravas."


Barely a season passes without fatalities and matches being interrupted. Earlier this year, two people were killed as convoys of buses carrying rival sets of fans to first division matches in two different cities crossed paths on a major highway and supporters clashed.


Bureau Report