The Copa Libertadores second-leg game between Santos of Brazil and Independiente of Argentina was abandoned after police clashed with the home crowd – who had been told their team was 3-0 down only 12 hours before kick-off.
Santos fans at the Pacaembu Stadium in Sao Paulo began throwing missiles at the Independiente bench and on to the pitch with eight minutes of the game to go, and the score 0-0 on the night.
Many others then stormed the perimeter fence, where police used batons to beat them back.
Police then used percussion grenades as some fans climbed over the barriers to get on to the pitch.
About 45,000 Santos fans had bought tickets to the game in hopes of a victory in South America’s top club competition after they drew the first leg in Buenos Aires 0-0.
But only 12 hours before the game started, officials at Conmebol – the organisation that runs football on the continent – awarded a 3-0 win to Independiente after their records revealed that Santos’ Uruguay international Carlos Sanchez had not served the entirety of a ban in the competition handed out three years before, when he got a red card while playing for River Plate.
Santos pointed out they had checked Conmebol’s own online system beforehand and it had revealed no outstanding bans.
Although Santos appealed, the 3-0 result was upheld. With the second game abandoned with no change in that overall score, Independiente qualified for the quarter-finals.
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