Violence erupts post-match in Brazil: visiting footballers attacked by local fans

Late on Wednesday night, at 12:30 AM Greenwich Mean Time on Thursday, 22nd February, a match took place as part of the championship games of the northeastern region of Brazil - Copa de Nordeste. In this fixture, the team of Sport Recife was the host, welcoming the team of Fortaleza.

Despite the match ending in a draw, it's not the outcome that is sparking controversy. What is being widely discussed is the fact that the visiting players were not able to return to their city peacefully because their bus was viciously attacked by local fans.

This incident occurred near the exit from Arena Pernambuco where the match was held. An organised mob of hooligans, supporters of Sport Recife, started hurling stones and fireworks at the bus. As a consequence, six Fortaleza players were injured and subsequently admitted to a nearby hospital.

- Goalkeeper Joao Ricardo suffered a facial cut, left back Gonzalo Escobar has a split lip and a cut on his eyebrow, and also received a blow to the head by a chunk of cobblestone. Meanwhile, right back Dudu, centre backs Titi and Emanuel Britez, and midfielder Lucas Sasha were injured by broken glass from the bus windows - stated Marcelo Paz, the general director of the club, in an interview with Globo TV. However, all players are reported to be in stable condition now.

Officials from Fortaleza reported this assault on their players to the Brazilian Football Association and are demanding a prompt response to this scandalous incident. Interestingly, Sports Recife are also supporting this cause, condemning the actions of the culprits.

"Acts of stark violence are absolutely incongruent with the usual behavior of our supportive fans, let alone the values our club stands for. The club is fully committed to aid any investigations, striving to identify the individuals involved in this deplorable act." - reads their statement.