Football
Tom Marshall, Mexico correspondent 4y

Crowd violence sees Atletico San Luis, Queretaro game halted as fans spill onto pitch

A running battle in the stands between Atletico San Luis and Queretaro fans caused the Liga MX game between the two clubs on Sunday to be suspended with five minutes remaining.

Queretaro had been leading 2-0 in the rivalry match when fighting broke out. TV images showed metal objects were thrown by both sets of fans and people getting viciously kicked and beaten inside Estadio Alfonso Lastras Ramirez.

Fans from other areas of the stadium poured onto the pitch as the violence broke out, causing confusion, with security unable to bring the situation under control.

Atletico San Luis announced 43 minutes after the game stopped that the "situation has been controlled" and that home fans were leaving the stadium. Videos and photos circled online appearing to show some seriously injured fans being stretchered away.

The number of people injured in the violence was at least 37, according to ESPN Mexico's Karen Pena.

Liga MX published a statement on Sunday indicating it was "disappointed" and that it "condemns" the violence in San Luis. It also asked for authorities to investigate the violence and for the Mexican football federation to do the same and impose sanctions, which could include a stadium ban.

Queretaro players were guarded for two hours after the game, according to reports, before being able to safely leave the stadium.

"It's a situation that leaves us all sad and very worried," said Atletico San Luis coach Gustavo Matosas in a news conference. "It's something that we don't want to see happen in football."

Queretaro head coach Victor Manuel Vucetich blamed the lack of security presence at the stadium as the reason for the breakout in fighting.

"It was a hard-fought game between the two teams and then there was people on the pitch and that's where it all the disorder started because the playing area was invaded and there wasn't any security," Vucetich said.

The suspension of the game in San Luis follows on from a Thursday Ascenso MX game between Dorados and Atlante being postponed due to gunfights in Culiacan and a botched protest over unpaid wages at Veracruz on Friday in a weekend to forget for Mexican soccer.

There has been a regular debate in Mexico over whether porras -- organised supporters' groups more commonly known as barras bravas in South America -- should be banned.

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