Amputee football cup final in Argentina ends in brawl with crutches used as weapons

The final

The final of the Copa Fortaleza Guarani, a tournament for amputee footballers played in Buenos Aires, pitted Los Teros de Cordoba against Rampla Juniors, represented by its amputee section. The match ended 1-1 and was decided by a penalty shootout, which Los Teros won. The decisive kick was a low left-footed shot that the Argentine goalkeeper stopped with his foot. His teammates ran to celebrate in the penalty area, where the Uruguayan taker was still standing. Los Teros are linked to the Argentine club Talleres de Cordoba.

The brawl

The celebration led to a fight that involved fists, shoving and crutches. According to the reports, a Uruguayan player who was angered by the celebration struck a blow, and a general brawl followed. Players used their crutches as weapons. Photos published by Fanpage show the Uruguayan goalkeeper stepping in to protect a teammate and taking a crutch blow to the back. The chaos lasted several minutes and drew in members of both delegations, spilling beyond the pitch.

Earlier tensions and club statements

Tensions had built well before the shootout. The match included a hard tackle on a player on the ground, insults and exchanges of provocations, and the two captains were both sent off. Rampla Juniors later denounced a very hostile atmosphere with constant provocations and calls to fight. Los Teros called the episode an isolated incident, said nothing similar had happened on Argentine soil in more than 15 years of competition, expressed solidarity with the injured and rejected all forms of violence. Rampla said its players had not travelled to Argentina to fight but to play football, after months of effort and sacrifice.