Four people were killed and three players injured after rival fans clashed in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa on Saturday following an attack on the Motagua team bus.
The violence began when fans of the Olimpia team threw stones Saturday evening at a bus carrying Motagua players to the stadium, breaking windows and injuring three players. Former Celtic player Emilio Izaguirre, a Honduran national, sustained a cut near an eye. Paraguayan Roberto Moreira and Argentine Jonathan Rougier were also injured.
The National League and police then suspended the game.
Three people were declared dead at a local hospital, the Honduran Red Cross confirmed on Saturday, and at least a dozen others were admitted with injuries. A fourth person was declared dead on Sunday, while four of the injured have been released from hospital, while three more are in stable condition, said hospital spokeswoman Juliette Chavarria.
😡 Reprochable y lamentable
— Fútbol Club Motagua (@MOTAGUAcom) August 18, 2019
📍 La barra Ulta Fiel, atacó el bus de nuestro equipo cuando iba en camino al estadio nacional y varios de nuestros jugadores fueron herido por los vidrios, esto tiene que ser sancionado duramente por más autoridades correspondientes pic.twitter.com/22feX003CG
Stones thrown at the bus shattered glass that injured defender Moreira, Argentine goalkeeper Rougier and Honduran winger Izaguirre, a World Cup veteran who spent much of his club career with Celtic in Scotland.
Late on Saturday, the Honduran football league condemned the acts of violence, expressed condolences for the victims and asked authorities to resolve the matter quickly.
Police spokesman Jair Meza said police arrested a suspect with guns who allegedly participated in the fight.
The stadium will be closed until further notice. The National League did not set a new date for the game to be played, while Motagua announced that it would not take part in a rescheduled game against Olimpia and called for the Honduran league to sanction Olimpia for the alleged actions of its fans.
"We regret these situations and I call on the fans of Olimpia and other teams in the National League to avoid performing these acts which damage soccer," said Olimpia president Rafael Villeda.
Fans of Motagua and Olimpia have engaged in deadly clashes in the past.