A woman supporting Palmeiras in the game against Flamengo was killed after a brawl erupted inside the stadium. The incident happened when Gabriela Anelli, the Palmeiras supporter tried to get into Allianz Parque Stadium in Sao Paulo. She was near a fan zone where Palmeiras supporters were eating and drinking when passing Flamengo supporters started hurling stones and glass bottles in their direction, said Cesar Saad, a police official who specializes in sports-related crimes.
The deceased was hit in the jugular vein (one of the three veins of the throat). This happened because a bottle was thrown against her. After getting hit, she could only survive for two days before she breathed her last.
Palmeiras said in its social media channels that Brazilians “cannot accept that a 23-year-old woman be a victim of barbarism in a place that should be for entertainment.” The club urged authorities to investigate the case because it “hurts the image of Brazilian soccer.”
A separate incident took place in another area of the same stadium shortly before Anelli was wounded. This forced the referee to stop play twice so the tear gas used by police could be dissipated. The game ended in a 1-1 draw.
Meanwhile, police said a 26-year-old suspect was arrested in connection with the death of Gabriela.
Ednaldo Rodrigues, the president of the Brazilian Football Confederation, said in a statement he was working with authorities “to avoid criminal and sad episodes like this from happening again.”
“Just like in the issue of racism, it is enough [of violence],” Rodrigues said. “Soccer is about passion and not a place for infiltrated criminals to act with violence.”
The next round of the Brazilian championship will stage a minute of silence in Anelli’s memory.
