ASUNCION, Paraguay (AP) — The Paraguayan Superclasico ended in chaos and violence and was suspended after opposing fans clashed in the stands in Asunción and left supporters and policemen injured.
Referee Juan Gabriel Benítez stopped the match between Olimpia and Cerro Porteño after 29 minutes in Defensores del Chaco Stadium on Sunday night due to clashes in one stand followed by hundreds of fans rushing onto the pitch as police fired rubber bullets and tear gas.
Police said the violence began outside the stadium a few minutes before the game, blaming visiting Cerro Porteño supporters who arrived late for trying to enter without tickets.
National Police Commander César Silguero said 11 police officers were injured and 31 fans were arrested on various charges.
“It’s a sad night for Paraguayan football,” Cerro Porteño president Blas Reguera said. “We condemn all acts of violence, and after what happened we want to get to the bottom of the matter and find out what went wrong with security. We must permanently eradicate these kinds of incidents.”
Amid the escalating violence, police responded by using rubber bullets and tear gas fired directly into the stands. That triggered panic among the spectators, who sought refuge wherever they could.
TV footage showed fans running across the field and families trying to protect themselves.
Francisco Ávalos, director of tactical operations, said the police acted within established protocol and the officers carried out defensive, not repressive, actions.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
Join us at the San Mateo Performing Arts Center on May 1 and May 2 at 7:30 PM for a dynamic … Read moreMateo Motion XXII
Get ready for an exhilarating morning at the Third Annual Foster City 5k Fun Run on Saturday… Read moreFoster City 5k
Come support local artists and small business! Our 3rd annual Spring Studio Sale! Read moreSpring Studio Sale
Join us May 9th for the District 4 Toastmasters 2026 Conference - Eras of YOU: Renewing Huma… Read moreDistrict 4 Annual Conference - Eras of YOU Renewing Human Resilience in the Generative AI Era
Dirk van Ulden said:
Greg - thank you for this wake up call. It is relevant for many of us in similar situations.
Dirk van Ulden said:
Well - good for you but that unicum is still not convincing.
LittleFoot said:
LittleFoot said:
I challenge you to challenge me, Terence.
LittleFoot said:
Voting is for children. Politics is WWE - Hollywood for ugly people.
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.