A wave of violence in the northwestern Mexican city of Culiacan caused the second division game between Diego Maradona's former club Dorados de Sinaloa and Atlante to be cancelled on Thursday.
The Ascenso MX game was due to be played at Estadio Banorte in the evening, but after a gunfight broke out in the city Thursday afternoon, league authorities swiftly postponed the match.
"The [game] won't be played today due to security concerns in the city of Culiacan," read the league's statement. "We'll announce the date the game will be held soon."
El #AscensoBBVAMX
— ASCENSO BBVA MX (@AscensoBBVAMX) October 17, 2019
da a conocer que el compromiso entre @Dorados y @Atlante , correspondiente a la J10, no se disputará el día de hoy por cuestiones de seguridad en la Ciudad de Culiacán.
Próximamente se informará la fecha para disputar este compromiso.https://t.co/8ndErLztfp pic.twitter.com/nMsdz67sMi
Dorados and Atlante were preparing for the match when gunfire broke out in Culiacan, with Atlante players eating lunch when they heard shots, according to the club's press officer.
"Canceling the game was the sensible thing to do," Dorados coach Jose Guadalupe Cruz wrote to ESPN. "We are all in the team hotel and all our families are well protected, thank God."
Local officials said Mexican security forces captured the son drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.
Maradona lived in Culiacan and managed Dorados between September 2018 and last June, before leaving due to medical issues.