The Colombian Copa BetPlay final between Deportivo Independiente Medellin (DIM) and Atletico Nacional, played yesterday at Medellín’s Atanasio Girardot stadium, was marred by a wave of violence that overshadowed the latter’s victory and left at least 59 people injured, including police personnel, according to local authorities.
The match, which Atletico Nacional won 1–0 with a goal by Andres Felipe Roman, unfolded normally on the sporting front, but after the final whistle, a mass brawl broke out among fans in various areas of the stadium, turning a sporting celebration into a public security incident.
Tensions spiked in the minutes following the end of the game. What was supposed to be a festive awards ceremony devolved into scenes of chaos, with a pitch invasion, objects being thrown, and physical clashes between supporters of both teams.
In the stands, especially in the north section where DIM supporters gather, groups of fans tore down barriers and accessed the field, wielding sticks, pipes, and pyrotechnic devices, forcing the intervention of public security forces and the Dialogue and Order Maintenance Unit (UNDMO) in an attempt to restore order.
This episode once again brings to the fore a scourge that seems unwilling to disappear: Violence in Colombian football, with similar incidents in the past, and the limited ability of authorities and event organizers to prevent violent individuals from entering Colombian stadiums.
Pitch-invasion brawl mars Cup final in Medellin
Even before referee Wilmar Roldan signaled the end of the match, signs of discontent began to appear in some sections of the home crowd. According to press reports, flags started to be taken down and containment barriers removed in the north stand, actions that foreshadowed bigger problems once the game concluded.
As the teams left the field, DIM supporters, unhappy with the result, crossed security lines and entered the pitch, at which point the thin line between celebration and confrontation was broken.
The clashes were not limited to exchanges of insults or shoving; they became physical and dangerous. Images shared by attendees and the media show groups of fans striking each other with improvised objects and running across the field in an atmosphere of panic.
The presence of pyrotechnics and blunt objects forced logistics staff and players from both teams to retreat quickly to the locker rooms to protect their safety. The awards ceremony was temporarily canceled, and the title Atletico Nacional had secured with its eighth Copa BetPlay was left suspended amid the disorder.
The response by security forces was immediate but insufficient to immediately contain the violence. The UNDMO and the Police had to use gas and physical force to disperse the most aggressive groups, while various sections of the stadium became scenes of simultaneous fights.
Outside the Atanasio Girardot, the unrest continued for nearly an hour, with clashes between fans and members of the security forces extending the crisis beyond the stands.
Medellin Mayor Federico Gutierrez publicly addressed the events, firmly condemning the behavior of those who took part in the disturbances.
“They are not fans. They behave like criminals. I am not going to describe what happened. The images are very clear. An immense majority of supporters from both sides who enjoy football in peace versus a group of maladjusted individuals who only seek to generate violence,” the mayor wrote on his social media account X after the events.
Gutierrez said these acts “will have consequences” because “anyone who went to the stadium to attack, destroy, or instill fear will be held accountable before the law.” For the local leader, it is the obligation of political authorities to prevent “a few from damaging what belongs to everyone,” and he highlighted that Medellin “for years has been a reference point for football in peace in the country and throughout Latin America.”
No son hinchas.
Se comportan como criminales.
No voy a describir lo sucedido.
Las imágenes son muy claras.
Una inmensa mayoría de ambas hinchadas que disfrutan del fútbol en paz vs un grupo de desadaptados que solo buscan generar violencia.
Tendrán consecuencias. Aquí no hay…— Fico Gutiérrez (@FicoGutierrez) December 18, 2025
A still recurring problem in Colombian football
Yesterday’s incidents are not an isolated event in the context of Colombian football. In recent years, multiple episodes of violence have been recorded at high-profile matches: Clashes between organized fan groups and disturbances that have left people injured and led to sanctions.
The 2024 final was also marred by regrettable incidents, and some analysts point out that control and security measures have been insufficient to curb this trend.
Despite educational campaigns, sanctions, and announcements of a hard-line approach, episodes of clashes between fans, pitch invasions, and assaults on players and referees continue to recur with troubling frequency, turning the sporting spectacle into a risky setting.
Another of the most remembered cases occurred in 2021 during a match between Atletico Nacional and Junior in Medellin, when a human stampede forced the game to be suspended and left several people injured. Images of fans jumping onto the field went around the world and exposed structural failures in security and access control.
In Bogota, the clasicos between Millonarios and Santa Fe have been marked by disturbances inside and outside El Campin stadium. On more than one occasion, police have had to intervene to separate rival fan groups while the match unfolded amid a climate of constant tension.
Medellin has not been spared either. Matchups between Independiente Medellin and Atletico Nacional — such as last night’s — have resulted in sanctions involving partial stand closures after fights and the throwing of objects from the stands. Added to this are attacks on visiting teams’ buses and clashes between fans in areas surrounding the stadiums.
Authorities and the Dimayor — the private entity that organizes Colombia’s top professional soccer league — have tightened the sanctions regime, but the problem persists. Experts agree that violence will not be resolved through punishment alone, but through a comprehensive strategy that combines security, education, and a deep transformation of fan culture.
Meanwhile, Colombian football continues to play its matches under the shadow of a recurring enemy: violence.
Incidentes en el Atanasio: hinchas ingresan al campo tras victoria de Atlético Nacional. pic.twitter.com/3E2S8PrMan
— Telemedellín (@Telemedellin) December 18, 2025