Tag: Club Deportivo FAS

El Salvador league cancels rest of playoffs after stadium tragedy

At least 12 people were killed during a stadium crush on Saturday night

The remainder of the El Salvador league playoffs have been cancelled after a stadium crush left at least 12 dead, the country’s football association has announced.

The incident occurred at the Estadio Cuscatlán on Saturday night, with a quarterfinal second leg between Alianza FC and Club Deportivo FAS called off during the first half amid a crush of fans.

More than 90 people were injured in addition to the fatalities.

Officials believe that the sale of fake tickets and a malfunctioning Wi-Fi system may have contributed to the chaos, which was heightened when a gate to the south zone of the stadium wasn’t opened.

“As the governing body of Salvadoran football, FESFUT, and the organizer of the El Salvador National Championship, Liga Primera Division, we have determined to end the 2022-2023 El Salvador national championship,” a statement from El Salvador’s FA said.

“Our priority will be to ensure that security measures are strengthened at football events. With the support and international advice from FIFA and CONCACAF, we will implement better protocols that provide guarantees for the peace of mind of fans and all involved in these events.”

Earlier this week, Alianza FC was handed a one-year stadium ban and fined $30,000 for its role in the tragedy.

[lawrence-related id=20188]

Stadium crush in El Salvador leaves at least 12 dead

The incident took place during a playoff match between Alianza FC and Club Deportivo FAS.

El Salvador’s government has said at least 12 people are dead and about 90 others are injured after a crush of fans at the Estadio Cuscatlán on Saturday night.

The incident took place during the second leg of a playoff quarterfinal between Alianza FC and Club Deportivo FAS in San Salvador, the country’s capital.

Several reports stated that fans attempted to enter the stadium after the gates had been closed, which caused a crush of people. The game was stopped 16 minutes into the first half when it became clear there was a major problem in the stands.

“It was an avalanche of fans who overran the gate,” a volunteer with the Rescue Commandos first aid group told journalists, per the BBC. “Some were still under the metal in the tunnel. Others managed to make it to the stands and then to the field and were smothered.”

El Salvador’s president Nayib Bukele said the national police and attorney general would conduct a “thorough investigation” into the incident.

“Everyone will be investigated: teams, managers, stadium, box office, league, federation, etc. Whoever the culprits are, they will not go unpunished,” Bukele said on Twitter.

At a news conference on Saturday night, the director of El Salvador’s national police said that the stadium’s Wi-Fi may have malfunctioned, leading to fans with valid tickets being denied entry when their QR codes would not scan.

On Sunday, the AP seemed to bolster that theory through interviews with witnesses on the ground:

Fans angry at being blocked from entering a Salvadoran soccer league match despite having tickets knocked down a small access gate to the stadium, creating a crush that killed 12 people and injured dozens, officials and witnesses said Sunday.

“I extend my deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims who lost their lives after the tragic incidents that have taken place in El Salvador during the match between Alianza FC and Club Deportivo FAS,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in a statement.

“Together with FIFA and the global football community, all our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been affected, as well as with the people of the Republic of El Salvador, the CONCACAF Confederation, the Salvadoran Football Association, and the Primera División de Fútbol de El Salvador, at this difficult time.”