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Deportes Tolima and Millonarios were ready to face off in Colombia’s Categoría Primera A in the fourth match day of the season at the Estadio Manuel Murillo Toro on Sunday.
However, a crazed fan’s actions lead to an unusual and reprehensible sequence of events that suspended the game.
Deportes Tolima fan assaults Millonarios’ Daniel Cataño
When the game was seconds away from kick-off and the broadcast camera was paning to Millionarios’ Daniel Cataño, a Deportes Tolima fan assaulted and punched the Colombian player behind his back.
Increíble lo sucedido con Daniel Cataño antes del partido... Se viene una fuerte sanción el Deportes Tolima por la irresponsabilidad de una persona que no debe volver a pisar un estadio de fútbol pic.twitter.com/NMDGjBAvAT
— George Michael (@GMDLHM) February 12, 2023
Following the assault, Daniel Cataño chased after the crazed fan, pushing him to the ground before the fan got arrested and escorted out of the stadium by police.
Video completo de la agresión contra Daniel Cataño. pic.twitter.com/7rTfnephdz
— LA VOZ DEL EMBAJADOR (@lavozembajador) February 12, 2023
Moments after the incident, while stadium security and officials took care of the situation, center referee Wilmar Roldan walked towards Cataño and sent the player off due to unsportsmanlike conduct. The player could be suspended for up to four match days for taunting and for up to 10 games for assaulting a fan.
Un hincha del Tolima agredió Daniel Cataño antes de empezar el partido y Millonarios decidió abandonar el campo de juego por no tener garantías de seguridad.
Una pena lo que sucedió en el Manuel Murillo Toro. pic.twitter.com/cC6oSXTePg— Pablo Giralt (@giraltpablo) February 13, 2023
Looking at playing 90 minutes with 10 men and without the assurance of proper security for the event, Millonarios decided to walk off and refused to participate in the game. The violence was, unfortunately, not over yet.
While Millonarios were trying to leave the stadium, Deportes Tolima fans threw objects of all sorts to the team bus, including a rock that resulted in a broken passenger window. Absolutely shocking scenes.
Y siguen pasando cosas…
El bus de Millonarios fue atacado a piedrazos…Dios mío, pero qué tienen en la cabeza estas personas. Los futbolistas son humanos, personas, padres, esposos y etc.
Ibagué haciendo pinitos para que le quiten el fútbol…pic.twitter.com/kTyOYgHM0T
— Nicolás Cadena (@Ncadena98) February 13, 2023
The Colombian national team and clubs across the league have expressed their support for Millonarios and Daniel Cataño on social media.
Lamentamos profundamente los hechos de violencia ocurridos en Ibagué en el partido entre Tolima y Millonarios . El fútbol es un escenario de paz y de construcción social donde todos sus actores deben revalidar pacífica y armónicamente la pasión por el deporte rey.
— EL TRI (@DeporPasto) February 13, 2023
Comunicado | América de Cali rechaza agresión a Daniel Cataño. pic.twitter.com/oGOaINd7fs
— América de Cali (@AmericadeCali) February 13, 2023
Millonarios FC agredece el mensaje de solidaridad de los jugadores del Deportes Tolima, en cabeza de su capitán Julián Quiñonez, por los hechos ocurridos esta tarde en el estadio Manuel Murillo Toro de Ibagué. pic.twitter.com/UIS2Wkbso6
— Millonarios FC (@MillosFCoficial) February 13, 2023
Alejandro Montenegro, the fan who assaulted Cataño, was kept overnight in jail and has since released an apology to everyone involved in a video that's as sympathetic as the word unsympathetic. He didn’t even change his jersey.
“I come before you to apologize. Suddenly I let myself be carried away by the emotions that are experienced inside a football stadium. They are emotions that are not correct because we cannot allow football to turn into violence,” said Montenegro.
Alejandro Montenegro hincha del @cdtolima que agredió a #DanielCataño ofreció disculpas por su actuación. @MillosFCoficial @CaracolSports pic.twitter.com/VA11VXJxQe
— Máryuri Trujillo (@Mayotrujillo) February 13, 2023
Alejandro Montenegro el petrista que atacó a Daniel Cataño en el partido Tolima - Millonarios
Es el único del pacto histórico que está en el lugar indicado pic.twitter.com/x9VByyzQD2— Andres San Miguel (@AndresFeliSM) February 13, 2023
Montenegro is in the process of being prosecuted and sentenced by a jury. He is also expected to receive a multiple-year ban from entering any stadium in the country.
Sanctions against the team and the stadium are still to be announced.
