Flamengo's Libertadores foes Estudiantes lose final, spark brawl; see clips | OneFootball

Widespread confusion broke out this Saturday (26) in La Plata

Estudiantes (ARG) lost the final of Argentina’s International Super Cup to Rosario Central (ARG) 3-1 this Saturday (26). The negative result drew huge attention in Brazil because the club from La Plata will be Flamengo’s opponent in the Copa Libertadores semifinals.

The decision at the Jorge Luis Hirschi Stadium, in La Plata, also ended up being marked by widespread confusion. The clash between players and coaching staffs began right after Rosario Central’s third goal.

Alexis Castro opened the scoring for the home side, but Ángel Di María led the comeback with two goals, and Julián Fernández extended the lead in stoppage time. Immediately after the final goal, players from both teams started a violent brawl on the pitch. The fight involved shoving, insults, and physical aggression.

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HOW DID THE FIGHT CONTINUE AFTER THE FINAL WHISTLE?

The heated argument did not end on the field and continued as the teams headed toward the locker rooms. Forward Ángel Di María commented on the incident in an interview with ‘DSports’ and lamented what happened. The player said the winning team had only celebrated the title-winning moment.

— It was regrettable what happened in the final. We did nothing for this to happen. They must have their reasons. We’re going to enjoy this moment -, said the forward.

WHAT WERE THE REASONS FOR FLAMENGO’S OPPONENT’S OUTRAGE?

In addition to the chaos, Estudiantes left the pitch extremely dissatisfied with referee Darío Herrera’s officiating. The defeated club strongly complained about one specific play in which the ball hit Ovando’s arm inside the penalty area. As a result, the players demanded a penalty, but the referee ignored the appeal and kept his original decision to let play continue.

The outrage was so intense that Estudiantes president Juan Sebastián Verón stormed onto the field to personally challenge the officiating. In this way, the executive strongly protested against the refereeing crew right after the end of the match. The Argentine club now puts the trophy aside and focuses fully on preparing to face Flamengo.

WHEN WILL THE DECISIVE FLAMENGO VS. ESTUDIANTES LIBERTADORES MATCHES TAKE PLACE?

Flamengo and Estudiantes will face off on October 15 and 22 in the two-legged Libertadores semifinals. Thus, the first match will take place at Jorge Luis Hirschi Stadium in La Plata. Meanwhile, the decisive match will be at the Maracanã.

This is because Flamengo finished the Libertadores group stage with the best overall record. As a result, Rubro-Negro earned the advantage of deciding every knockout round of the international tournament, up to the final, at home.

Kickoff for both matches is set for 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time). As tradition dictates, both in La Plata and in Rio de Janeiro, Coluna no Fla will be there, providing the most Rubro-Negro coverage of all. Stay tuned on YouTube, the website, and social media, fans, and don’t miss any details.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.