The Flamengo-Gremio first leg finished 1-1 after a late Gremio equaliser
RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct 23 (NNN-Xinhua) — One person died and two others were injured during a shootout between police and a gang of Flamengo fans that allegedly planned to invade Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana stadium.
Police arrested 16 gang members during Tuesday’s operation at the notorious Jacarezinho favela in Rio’s northern suburbs, according to the official Agencia Brasil news service.
Officials said the group had used social media to call on other Flamengo fans to jointly invade the stadium to watch the second leg of Wednesday’s Copa Libertadores semifinal between the Rio club and Gremio.
“The information obtained points to the existence of a group of up to 100 individuals that planned to commit several crimes in and around the stadium,” judge Bruno Monteiro said in a document that authorized the operation.
He added that the gang had plotted to carry out acts of “gratuitous violence and brutality”, including threats to kill police. Officials issued 27 arrest warrants and 89 restraining orders.
The winner on aggregate of the clash between Flamengo and Gremio will play either Boca Juniors or River Plate in the final of South America’s top club competition in Santiago, Chile, next month.
Flamengo and Gremio drew the first leg 1-1 in the southern Brazilian city of Porto Alegre.
The sell-out game, poised at 1-1 after the first leg in the southern Brazilian city of Porto Alegre, sees hosts Flamengo aiming to reach the Copa Libertadores final for the first time since 1981.
In the other semi-final Argentina’s River Plate start the second leg 2-0 up against hosts and rivals Boca Juniors at La Bombonera on Tuesday. — NNN-XINHUA
