El Salvador’s football federation on Tuesday ordered first-division Alianza to play home matches behind closed doors for a year, blaming the club for a fatal stampede at its Cuscatlan Stadium.
Twelve people died and hundreds were injured in the crush on Saturday which was thought to have begun when a gate fell at the stadium in the capital San Salvador.
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“The responsibility for the events that occurred at the Cuscatlan Stadium during the progress of the football match is attributable (to Alianza) for being the home team, and therefore, organizer of the match,” said a ruling by the football federation’s disciplinary commission.
Alianza must play “without the attendance of local spectators for a period of one year” and pay a fine of $30,000 before July 21.
The ruling also declared the away team, FAS, the winner of the match, which had been suspended.
In addition to the 12 killed, about 500 people were treated for various injuries at the scene, while 88 were hospitalized. Most have since been discharged.
The ruling found Alianza “did not adopt measures conducive to preventing the events, or did so negligently.”
Security measures and the control of access to the stadium “were obviously insufficient and deficient.”
It said Alianza did not submit a report of its own as requested by the disciplinary commission because it was already cooperating with an investigation by local authorities.
