Violence mars Brazil's domestic football

IANS
Crowd trouble in Brazil
Crowd trouble at the Fortaleza-Ceara game

Fortaleza (Brazil), May 4 (IANS)

Brazilian police fired tear gas and grenades to quell rioting fans at the Castelao Arena after Fortaleza won 4-3 on aggregate against Ceara, reports Xinhua. The Arena is one of the venues used at last year's football World Cup.

The local media reported that after the match, fans of both Fortaleza and Ceara invaded the pitch, triggering a free for all. Television camera crews were attacked and robbed while several journalists fell unconscious due to the effect of tear gas. Fans also ripped up seats and vandalized player dugouts.

The 63,000 Castelao stadium hosted six matches during last year's World Cup after a $225 million revamp.

Violence also marred Sunday's Rio Grande do Sul state final between Gremio and Internacional in the southern city of Porto Alegre.

After seeing their team lose 1-2 on aggregate, Gremio fans damaged seats at the Beira-Rio stadium, also a 2014 World Cup venue, and clashed with rival supporters.

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Edited by Staff Editor