Grêmio’s bus was stoned on the way to the Beira-Rio stadium, in Porto Alegre, for the classic against Internacional, in the ninth round of the Campeonato Gaúcho. The match, scheduled for 19:00 (Brasilia time) this Saturday (26), was initially postponed to 21:00. At around 8 pm, the Gaucho Football Federation (FGF) officially postponed the game.
“A new date will be announced shortly, as soon as the meeting with the clubs is completed,” the FGF reported in a note posted on Twitter.
One of the stones thrown at the bus, while it was traveling on Edvaldo Pereira Paiva Avenue, hit the face of the driver Mathias Villasanti, who was taken to Moinhos de Vento hospital. According to Grêmio, a head trauma and a brain concussion were found, without a head fracture. The Paraguayan is doing well, with bruises on his face and a trauma to his hip. Midfielder Jaminton Campaz had dizziness. Before the postponement of the game, Tricolor had expressed itself on social media, saying that it would not act “in the face of the cowardly and absurd aggression suffered by our delegation”.
Our attention at this moment is all focused on the care of the athlete Villasanti, who was hit in the face by a stone, and the other injured members of the delegation. + pic.twitter.com/krbMoapiWi
— Gremio FBPA (@Gremio) February 26, 2022
In a press conference on the Beira-Rio lawn, Inter president Alessandro Barcelos condemned the act of violence against the Grêmio bus and recalled a similar case last Thursday (24), in which fans hit the Grêmio bus. Bahia before the game against Sampaio Corrêa, in Salvador, injuring goalkeeper Danilo Fernandes.
“International will contribute in every way, with its apparatus, so that those who did this are located and identified. Internacional agrees with not holding the match, but is also concerned about the technical imbalance of the championship. Let’s talk calmly to solve it”, declared Barcelos.
Grêmio leads Gauchão with 17 points, five ahead of Inter, in fourth place. The clubs have commitments for the Copa do Brasil in the middle of the week. Tricolor plays on Wednesday (2), at 9:30 pm, against Mirassol, at the José Maria de Campos Maia stadium, in Mirassol (SP). On Thursday (3), at the same time, Colorado visits Globo-RN at Arena das Dunas, in Natal.
Confusion in Paraná
The Vila Capanema stadium, in Curitiba, also had confusion this Saturday. In the 41st minute of the second half, Paraná fans invaded the pitch to attack players of the team, which was defeated by 3 to 1 by União, for the tenth round of the Campeonato Paranaense. The result decreed the tricolor relegation to the second division of the State. The game was stopped and later ended.
*Text updated at 20:43 with the information that the match has been postponed.
