Riots in the world of football are quite common. The triggers can be many, starting from the team being defended to lose, unfair referee decisions, cheating opposing teams, and so on. When this happens, there will be fans who take to the field to express their frustration.
Normally, any problems that occur will definitely be dealt with immediately. It’s just that, if handled incorrectly, the problem could grow and lead to riots. Riots that occur can not only damage facilities but can also claim lives.
In the history of football, there have been many riots that have taken place and lives. No half-hearted, the casualties that floated could reach tens or even hundreds. Just 1 life that is lost is too many and should not have happened. Here are some of the deadliest riots that have occurred in soccer matches from around the country.
1. The National Stadium Disaster, 24 May 1964 – 318 People Died
The deadliest riot in the history of soccer is the riot The National Stadium Disaster. This riot was so severe and the number of casualties that floated over the incident was also very large. Total deaths reached 318 people in the incident that occurred on May 24, 1964 at the National Stadium in the city of Lima, Peru.
This date is the meeting date for the Peruvian and Argentine national teams. The rivalry between the two teams has been known to be hot for a long time. And this time they competed in the Olympic qualification event at the National Stadium. When the two teams appeared on the field, each fan was already booing the other team and the opposing fans.
There was a goal that the referee disallowed from the Peruvian team. This made many Peruvian fans protest. From this protest which eventually continued with the occurrence of riots. Riots could not be avoided and as many as 500 people were injured because of it. The outnumbered police finally fired tear gas at the spectators.
This tear gas shot caused thousands of spectators to panic and rush to the exit. This panic only worsened the situation and resulted in many casualties. A total of 318 people died due to shortness of breath, trampled and crushed. The firing of tear gas, which turned out to be carried out repeatedly by the police, was considered excessive by many.
2. Kanjuruhan Stadium, October 1, 2022 – 135 People Died
Football matches that end in chaos in Indonesia have actually happened frequently. However, this time there was a riot that could not be ignored because there were many casualties. The news even spread abroad. This incident occurred on October 1, 2022 in Malang, at the Kanjuruhan Stadium to be precise.
The two clubs competing are Arema and Persebaya which are known for their very high rivalry. In this match, a rule was made that only Arema fans were allowed to watch in the stadium. The match ended in Arema’s defeat, this sparked a reaction from the Arema spectators who decided to enter the field for some reason.
Because it was considered that there were too many spectators who had entered the field and the situation was getting more chaotic, the police decided to calm it down by firing tear gas. Tear gas was fired several times at the riotous fans and some were shot towards the stands. The audience in the stands panicked and tried to find a way out.
Unfortunately, the exit door turned out to be locked and could not be opened. The exit doors were locked and they couldn’t get out, coupled with the spectators from the stands wanting to get out of the stadium, many people were squeezed in the exit area. Overcrowding, lack of oxygen, and trampling caused hundreds of people to die from the incident.
3. Accra Sports Stadium Disaster, 9 May 2001 – 126 People Died
The match which was held on May 9 2001 will probably be a moment that the spectators who came to the stadium will never forget. The riot that occurred at the Accar Sports Stadium in the city of Accra, Ghana resulted in many fatalities and hundreds of people were injured. The riot is known as The Ghana Disaster.
That day was a match between two rival teams, Hearts of Oak against Asante Kotoko. Hearts of Oak was leading by 2-1 and rioting ensued. Many Asante Kotoko fans were disappointed that their team was losing, throwing lots of stuff onto the pitch. Lots of bottles and chairs thrown by Asante Kotoko fans.
The police then decided to fire tear gas at the audience to quell the rioting. It was said by many that the police’s action of suppressing it by firing tear gas was an exaggeration. FIFA rules also prohibit the use of tear gas because it can create panic. This incident resulted in the loss of 126 lives.
4. The Hillsborough Disaster, 15 April 1989 – 96 People Died
Football fans in England are numerous and they are all known to be very fanatical. The incident on April 15, 1989 is one of the proofs that football fans in England, especially Liverpool fans, are very numerous. On that date there was a riot known as The Hillsborough Disaster.
The incident took place at Hillsborough Stadium, Sheffield, England. On that date there was a football match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. The crowd in attendance was overwhelming considering it was an FA Cup semi-final match. The number of spectators present was not proportional to the number of entrances that were opened causing congestion.
When the police opened the main door, they were immediately attacked by spectators, most of whom were Liverpool fans. Before entering the stadium, of course, you have to go through a ticket check first. Because there were many spectators who urged entry while at the ticket checking section there were also many spectators who were not allowed to enter, there was a buildup there.
The police tried to reduce the density by opening another door so that the spectators who were refused entry could get out. This is where the problem occurred, the door which was expected to function as an exit for spectators who were not allowed to enter, was instead attacked by spectators from outside who wanted to enter. The moment of jostling was unavoidable. A total of 766 people were injured while 95 people died.
5. The Katmandu Disaster, 12 March 1988 – 93 People Died
Not all riots are caused by riots between fans. There were also riots that occurred because of the weather. This happened in the event known as The Katmandu Disaster. The Katmandu Disaster occurred on March 12, 1988 at the National Stadium, Katmandu, Nepal. It is known that as many as 93 lives were lost in this incident.
When the match between Nepal and Bangladesh took place, the weather then turned to hail. This hail forced the audience to disperse immediately. As many as 30,000 spectators tried to escape towards the exit. Out of a total of 8 exits, only 1 exit was opened.
Due to the panicked condition, the audience pushed each other to get out of the stadium. Shortness of breath, being squeezed, and trampled on resulted in as many as 93 people died. Because of this incident, many people complained why of the many exits, only one was opened.
6. The Guatemala Disaster, 16 October 1996 – 80 people died
A football stadium that is built certainly has rules regarding how many spectators it can accommodate. If it exceeds its capacity there will definitely be a riot. This is what happened at Mateo Flores National Stadium, Guatemala. The riot that occurred on October 16, 1996 is remembered as The Guatemala Disaster.
It is important for all parties involved in organizing football matches to really ensure that the tickets sold do not exceed the capacity of the stadium. The Guatemala Disaster event brought together the Guatemalan national team against Costa Rica in the World Cup qualification event. As many as 60,000 tickets were sold while the capacity of the stadium was only 45,800.
Because many spectators claimed to hold the original tickets and forced their way into the stadium, this riot occurred. Lots of people jostling to see their beloved national team play. Those who were not strong died from suffocation and being trampled. As many as 80 people were declared dead in this sad event,
7. Port Said Stadium Disaster, 1 February 2012 – 79 people died
If a football team loses, usually the fans of the losing team will get angry and riot. But it turns out that there were also incidents of rioting which were actually carried out by fans of the winning team. This event is known as the Port Said Stadium Disaster. The number of victims who floated as many as 79 people.
The Port Said Stadium Disaster occurred on February 1, 2012. A football match involved 2 teams namely Al Masry and Al Ahly. The match was won by Al Masry with a score of 3-1. Then thousands of Al Masry fans swarmed the seats of Al Ahly fans. They attack using weapons such as knives, clubs, bottles, fireworks, and even swords.
It turned out that fans from Al Masry didn’t only attack Al Ahly fans, they also attacked the Al Ahly team. As a result of this incident, as many as 79 people died and more than 1,000 were injured.
8. Puerta 12 Tragedy, 23 June 1968 – 71 People Died
There are many versions of the chronology surrounding the riots that occurred on June 23, 1968. On that date, a football match took place between River Plate and Boca Junior. The match took place at Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina. By the government and citizens of Argentina, this event is called Puerta 12 Tragedy.
Puerta 12 Tragedy claimed 71 victims. Of the many victims who died, no definite cause was found. Some say that the audience walked to the wrong exit. The exit was apparently closed and the spectator behind who was behind, not knowing that the door was closed, pushed the spectator in front of him until he was pinned down and died.
Another version says that a Boca Junior fan burned the River Plate flag in the upper stands of the stadium. This arson action resulted in riots in the stands below. There is also another version which says that a River Plate fan entered the Boca Junior fan area and caused a riot.
Even though an investigation has been carried out for approximately 3 years, the government stated that no one was guilty of this incident. But since the incident, the numbers at the stadium exit have been changed to letters to prevent similar incidents from happening again.
9. The Luzhniki Disaster, 20 October 1982 – 66 People Died
October 20, 1982 will probably be one date that Muscovites will never forget. Especially those who were the spectators of the match between Spartak Moscow and HFC Haarlem. The two teams met through the UEFA Cup and competed at the Lenin Stadium, Moscow.
The number of tickets sold at that time was relatively low. So, only the East Stand is open to spectators. The security also only opened one exit. The score before the final whistle was 1-0 for Spartak Moscow. Thinking that the match would end, there were many spectators who decided to leave the stadium. Then came the second goal which made the stadium atmosphere lively.
The audience who had already walked towards the exit, decided to go back in to see the hubbub. However, security does not allow spectators from outside to re-enter. Pushing and pushing action and riots ensued. Many spectators were crushed and fell trampled by other spectators. As many as 66 lives were lost as a result of this event.
10. The Second Ibrox Disaster, January 2, 1971 – 66 People Died
Starting the worst riots that have ever happened in the world of football with the incident that occurred on January 2, 1971. The incident occurred at Ibrox Stadium in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. It is recorded that the number of people who died in this incident reached 66 people.
This incident was not the first, before there had been an accident in 1902, a stand collapsed during a match between Scotland against England. At that time, 25 people died and more than 500 people were injured.
The second incident that occurred on January 2, 1971 claimed more victims. The gloomy incident occurred when Rangers’ match against Celtic took place. When the match had been running for 89 minutes and the result was still a draw, a number of Rangers fans left the stadium when Celtic scored a goal to make Celtic win 1-0 over Rangers.
But one magical moment occurred when Rangers managed to equalize 1-1. As a result, Rangers fans, who had already left, wanted to return to the stadium. This had the effect of many other spectators being squeezed in the stairwell area. There are many spectators who experience shortness of breath and are squeezed. Resulting in many lives lost in this incident.
