FIFA is to investigate a confrontation between Chile’s Under-20 team and Toronto police, with Chileans accusing police of using pepper spray and stun guns against their players.
The brawl took shortly after Chile suffered a 3-0 defeat to Argentina in a semi-final stage at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Toronto.
“The entire situation is under investigation,” said John Schumacher, spokesman for FIFA.
“The players have been released from custody of the police to the care of the Chilean delegation.”
Furious with the referee’s decisions during the match, which left them with nine players against Argentina’s 11, several Chilean players angrily confronted the referee on the field after the game had finished.
Later, outside the stadium, there was a clash between police and the players.
Chilean television showed some players handcuffed. All 21 Chilean players were detained briefly by police.
The Chilean consul in Toronto, Ricardo Plaza, told local radio: “What is clear is that police repressed the Chilean players with quite forcefully for reasons that we are investigating.”
“The players are individuals who are absolutely helpless and they were in a very bad state, very upset … but that doesn’t make them delinquents.”
