This archive report was first published on 18 August 2019.
On Saturday night, a violent clash between supporters of Olimpia and Motagua teams, bitter local rivals, erupted outside National Stadium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
According to Hospital Escuela, at least three people lost their lives and seven were injured in the riots. Julieth Chavarría, a hospital spokesman, confirmed that "seven people were admitted, three of them died and four are still being treated in the emergency room."
The incident is believed to have started when a bus carrying Motagua players was attacked, leaving three players injured, as club president Pedro Atala revealed on social media.
Emilio Izaguirre, Jonathan Rougier, and Roberto Moreira, the injured players, were briefly treated in hospital.
"Bottles, stones were thrown at us and the players threw themselves on the floor screaming," Motagua coach Diego Vásquez recounted to local media.
Following the incident, the National Football League suspended the game, citing safety concerns.
Approximately 10,000 fans who had entered the stadium were caught up in a stampede to leave and were then exposed to police tear gas outside.
As tensions ran high, police deployed around 5,000 officers in and outside the stadium, deeming the event high-risk.
Notably, the Ultra Faithful wing of Olympia supporters, known for their violent tactics, was banned from entering the stadium.
