La Bombonera witnessed one of the bloodiest and most violent nights in the history of football.
The history of football keeps games to remember for different reasons: great plays that end in a goal, impossible shots or saves that still remain in the collective memory. But there are also other aspects that make certain matches legendary, and they do not necessarily go hand in hand with what has to do with the ball.
The Bombonera has witnessed crashes that have left joy and sadness, but also one of the most violent duels that have been seen on a playing field. Students from La Plata and Milan from Italy They starred in a final that ended with injured, injured and three players imprisoned.
Combined Milan Students The Graphic
Intercontinental 1969: the violent final between Estudiantes and Milan
Those from Milan had won the first leg 3 to 0 in Italyso Pincha had a difficult time on Boca’s field. Osvaldo Zubeldía’s teams used to be brave, but León that day was completely out of it, almost as if they were looking for friction at all times, although at quite exaggerated levels.
The 2 to 1 in favor of the Argentine team is completely anecdotal, since the dedication that characterized them turned into violence from the first minute. Nestor Combinan Argentine naturalized French, finished bloody and with a completely swollen cheekbone for an elbow. He was also one of those detained, although he was released, since the reason was having skipped military service and the intervention of the French ambassador was key.
From the start there was hostility, some Estudiantes players threw balls at their rivals while they warmed up. Aguirre Suárez saw red after attacking Rivera, but before he had done the same with Sormani and Prati, whom he injured in the face with an elbow.
Rivera himself from the Rossoneri was also the protagonist of the second expulsion, in this case of Manera, who punched him because he accused him of stalling. While this was being attended to, Poletti kicked Prati in the headalready hurt and on the ground, and the weather ended up exploding.
Such was the madness of the event that marred the football match, that witnesses claim that one of the quietest of the night was nothing more and nothing less than Carlos Salvador Bilardoat that time a Pincha player. Not even the media, which supported Estudiantes at that time in a match as important as the Intercontinental Cup, could support such savagery.
Three players imprisoned for several months
Alberto Poletti, Ramón Aguirre Suárez and Eduardo Luján Manera were the most violent players of the night, and that had consequences. A decree signed by dictator Juan Carlos Onganía kept them prisoners in Devoto for more than 30 days before being released.
The questioned and bloody Argentine government of that time wanted to “set an example” and show that authority was present in these types of acts. The AFA was not left behind and took action on the matter: Poletti was expelled for life, Aguirre Suárez for 30 games and five years of disqualification from playing international duels and Way 20 games suspended and two years without playing international cups.
Source: Ambito
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
