Vasco deals with violent fan riots after Brazilian league defeat

The Rio de Janeiro team suffered their sixth straight defeat at the Brasileirão and the fans reacted in the worst way
by
Josué Seixas
2023-06-23 14:35:45

The situation that Vasco da Gama is going through is extremely worrying. After 11 games of Brasileirão 2023, the team is second to last in the standings, six points from safety. After losing 1-0 at home against Goiás, the Rio de Janeiro team has accumulated six consecutive defeats, for which their fans once again complained.

São Januário was the scene of chaotic scenes, with fans repudiating the club’s present from the stands after the final whistle. In the vicinity of the stadium, the climate was even more hostile, as a violent confrontation took place between fans who tried to break down the doors and the police, who repressed and even shot to dissuade the invaders.

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Vasco da Gama fans wreak havoc as club fear relegation

Although the hostility became evident after the match ended, referee Jean Pierre Gonçalves pointed out that the tension existed throughout the entire match. This was what he reported after the match, according to Globo Esporte:

“After the goal by Goiás, which occurred in the 28th minute of the second half, Vasco fans threw glasses towards their team’s bench. After the end of the match, home fans began throwing plastic cups, soda cans, flares, and explosive bombs onto the pitch. In the stands, the Military Police had to intervene since several fans broke an access gate to the field. I also inform you that several cars, one of them being the referee transport car, which were in a reserved sector and made available by the club, were damaged with stones, being dented, scratched and broken.”

“According to information from the Military Police, it was verified that access to the cars was through door 6, which was broken by the crowd. For security reasons, the members of the VAR booth had to immediately leave the room, since near it there was a confrontation between the Military Police and some fans through stun bombs and the use of gas to disperse said fans.” , read the summary.

Gonçalves’ description of the events is chilling. There are barely 11 games played and we have already seen several acts of extreme violence. A few days ago, Santos fans also rioted in their own stadium. Vasco’s situation is not easy at all, and if the weather is like this every time they play at home, it will be difficult to reverse this situation.

In any case, the board has already taken action on the matter by firing Maurício Barbieri.