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Soccer ref trapped in Peruvian riot

Posted December 2, 2008 11:19:00

A police car was set alight and the referee trapped in his dressing room for nearly three hours during a riot at a Peruvian second division soccer match.

Media reports said around 100 people were injured in Sunday's game between Sport Huamanga and Sport Huancayo in the Andean city of Ayacucho.

Television showed dozens of fans breaking down fencing, invading the pitch and overturning a vehicle which appeared to be an ambulance.

Pictures also showed a police car in flames while referee Alejandro Villanueva told the El Comercio newspaper he was trapped in the stadium for nearly three hours.

Huamanga won the Copa Peru tie 4-1 but were beaten on away goals.

The trouble started when Huancayo were awarded a free kick as the hosts pressed for a decisive fifth goal.

The referee was surrounded by furious Huamanga players and needed protection from riot police, delaying play for nine minutes.

Play resumed but fans started throwing stones on to the field, forcing the game to be abandoned.

Peruvian soccer is in a chaotic state and riots and fighting are common at matches.

Last week Peru were suspended from international competition by ruling body FIFA because of a row between the national soccer federation and the government.

-Reuters

Tags: sport, football, football-south-america, unrest-conflict-and-war, peru

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