(Miami) Miami-Dade County police said they made 27 arrests and ejected 55 people following a series of crowd disturbances Sunday at the Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia at Hard Rock Stadium.
Some supporters managed to enter the stadium without following security protocol.
The president of the Colombian soccer federation, Ramon Jesurun, was arrested, as was his son, Ramon Jamil Jesurun, who was accused of fighting with several security officers.
Miami-Dade police Detective Andre Martin confirmed to The Associated Press that the two men were detained Sunday following the incident at Hard Rock Stadium and are facing charges. He did not confirm the charges.
The documents show, however, that Ramon Jamil Jasurun was arrested on three counts of assault against an officer.
The Colombian soccer federation did not immediately respond to an AP request for comment.
In a statement released Monday, the South American Soccer Confederation (CONMEBOL) said it regretted what had happened and that the events had “tarnished” the image of the competition.
“In this situation, CONMEBOL was subject to the decisions taken by the Hard Rock Stadium authorities, according to the contractual responsibilities established for security operations, the organization said. In addition to the preparations determined in this contract, CONMEBOL recommended to the authorities procedures tested in events of this magnitude, but these were NOT taken into account.”
Hard Rock Stadium – which will host matches at the 2026 World Cup – said security was a shared responsibility between stadium officials, the organisation, CONCACAF (the governing body for soccer in North, Central America and the Caribbean) and local police.
“There was more than double the staff” normally in place for an event on Sunday, a spokesperson said in a statement.
The final between the two South American countries was scheduled to start at 8pm and was ultimately delayed by more than an hour due to the events.
Fans broke through barriers and ran to escape police and stadium workers wreaking havoc around Hard Rock Stadium. Some appeared hysterical, searching for the people they had arrived with.
Attorney Steve Adelman, a crowd control expert, said Hard Rock organizers failed to understand that Sunday’s game would draw passionate fans desperate to see their team.
“An event involving two rival South American nations involves a lot of passion,” he explained.
Adelman added that organisers should have learned from the Euro 2021 final when ticketless England fans forced their way into London’s Wembley Stadium to watch their team play Italy. The chaos led to 53 arrests.
“Unfortunately, international soccer matches have been marred by this kind of aggressive behavior by fans,” Adelman said. “This kind of behavior is wrong and it’s not desirable, but it’s reasonably foreseeable. They had to have a plan based on the crowd they were likely to have, not the crowd they would have liked to have.”
The amphitheater suffered significant damage. In images posted on social media, a smashed escalator ramp could be seen in the stadium, with shoes, soda cans, glasses and clothes left behind.
Security barriers at the stadium’s southwest entrance gave way as thousands of people, including crying children, pushed against them.
More than 800 police representatives were on hand for the event.