The night of May 14, 2015 appears on the saddest pages in the history of Argentine and South American football. The Superclassic that never ended because a couple of fans attacked with “pepper gas” the River footballersvisitors in La Bombonera for the rematch of the round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores, turns 10 and the doubt about what would have happened if the second half was played will remain unanswered. Roger BelloCommissioner of Conmebol designated to supervise the party that night and maximum authority in the stadium, do not regret the decision to have suspended the party and repeat that “the regulation is clear.”
Bello attends the video call at his home in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, in Bolivia. There, in his office, he exhibits the treasures of his long career in South American football. A gray goalkeeper diver with River’s shield that Marcelo Barovero He gave him is the first thing that comes out of the closet. Although the garment is not from the night of the scandal. “Somewhere in all these drawers I have the manuscript report that I made that night”tells him Clarion. And he promises to launch, although the document does not appear.
“It’s not that I remember as if it were yesterday, but I am very clear in the retina what happened that day. We had returned with the arbitration quartet to the playing field because River was about to enter. It was only missing that River entered the court, and there the fourth referee realizes and tells me: ‘Look, Roger, the players are falling in the mouth of the tunnel. And a few minutes later, Bello already knew that the game was not going to continue, but I could not make the mistake of announcing it because “there were more than 50,000 people, it was one week day, the next day there were work and school activities, and we had to guarantee the safety of all those people.”
-Orger, that night was the highest authority of Conmebol in the Bombonera?
-Correct. Within the playing field, yes. But you also have people who help you.
-In that case, did you have the responsibility to make the decision that the party was not going to continue or that decision was made together with the referee of the party, the commissioner of the police operation and someone else?
-Well, according to the regulation, what happened was a serious offense and obviously there were no conditions to continue the party. But we couldn’t announce it very early. That’s why I kept it, to work with the police, to let the time run, which was our best ally. First, 30 minutes were expected, then it was evaluated if there was improvement, but I already knew that it was not possible to continue.
-In the images of that night he is seen talking on the phone at the key moment, but it was said that he was not really talking to anyone, that he did not even have a sign. Was that so?
-Well, if you are down there, in the place where I was, it is very difficult for you to have a sign. That almost never happens. You have to look for the place, and we are not there to talk on the phone, we are to see what is happening in the game. At that time there was a large influx of press people in the surroundings, obviously accredited to be in those sectors, and they wanted to know if the party continued or not. I wanted to save time simulating that I was talking on the phone, and I was aimed at waiting, that I was going to give them the information. But at that time there was no sign at the stadium to make any call.
-He said he was talking directly to the president of Conmebol, at that time was Juan Ángel Napout.
-When they were about 40 minutes of waiting time, from behind, on the side of one of the benches, they sign that they wanted to talk to me. I approach, and it was – if I’m not mistaken – Conmebol’s vice president, a Lord of Uruguay, who was there, and tells me: “Roger, Juan Ángel with you wants to speak.” Then I accommodate on one side, I approach, and Juan Ángel tells me: “Roger, I am seeing the images and I support you all the decision you make. We trust in you because I know you are doing well and you are going to do it well, according to what you know about the statutes and the regulations. Good luck”Hang, I return the phone and return to the court.
-The also what remained in the retina that night was the entrance of the president of River, Rodolfo d’Onofrio …
-Well, he enters the court to see his players, who were lying on the gramado, probably worried. I approach him because there were already people who were booing, they were Boca people in the gallery. And I ask, please, “President, let us help it with the players, but you have to retire from the court, because if not, it will generate a bad atmosphere due to your permanence here on the field of play”. He told me: “I am worried about the players.” And I replied: “We are going to do everything we can, but I ask him to leave the field.” He was accompanied by another leader, and they retired quickly. The time that was in the field was very little.
-The presence of D’Onofrio somehow influenced the decision to suspend the party or that decision was already taken?
-No, he had no interference. Five minutes passed from the incident and, seeing what had happened, seeing the players and also the tribune, I felt fear. There were many people and I said: “This cannot continue.” But I didn’t communicate the decision at that moment, I kept it. I had to comply with the regulation, respect the times. But I already knew that the game was not going to continue. If I said it at that time, it already leaked. In football, if there is something that does not exist, it is the secret. That’s why I waited. D’Onofrio went out to the field, but had no influence on the decision. Nothing.
-What time did you make contact with the president of Boca, Daniel Angelici?
-In a moment, when I needed the people of Boca to help me, both the coach and the captain, so that we would come out together through the mouth of the tunnel with the referees, I asked that the president was on the court. They told me they were going to take it to me, but I wanted to talk to him alone. Then, I entered the office where he was, sitting alone at a long table, taking a soda. He told me: “Pass.” I sat with him, and we were both alone. I said: “I regret what happened, president.” And he replied: “We have already carried the organization for more than a week, and look, two or three people managed to stop it. People want to see the game.”. He asked me: “What is the decision?” I said: “President, all I want is that, when the decision is made, help me with his captain and his coach to go together and avoid aggressions or some type of altercation.” He told me he was going to help me, and I appreciated him. I left again, and an assistant accompanied me back to the court. After 15 more minutes, there were already few people in the stands, except the Boca tribune, the most faithful. It was then that I asked the referee (Darío) Herrera to call the two teams to the field and touch his whistle to end the game.
-He there was also a fairly striking figure on the playing field that night, that of Alejandro Burzaco (CEO of tournaments, owner of the rights of TV).
-In the first moment I realize that he is in the field, I ask him to retire. Tells me: “As a television representative, I would like to know if the game continues or not”. I replied that I couldn’t tell him that, but I asked him to retire from the field, because it was not the place for him. He told me that he would retire, and he did.
-How much time was on the playing field?
-I realized his presence and, surely, he spent a minute, two minutes, three minutes before he noticed it. I am not sure, but when I realized, I went directly to the shore of the court and, at that time, he already retired.
-At any time, his idea expressed, if he wanted the party to continue or suspend?
-No, no, he was just worried about knowing if the game continued or not. That was his question. I was clear to him: I told him that at the time he was going to know, but that his presence in the field was not allowed, since it should be in a box or in an area other than the playing field.
-According to his experience as a Commission of Conmebol, why do you think that party was never completed?
-The report was clear: the game was suspended due to the aggressions suffered by the players and the rival team. The regulation is explicit in these cases. In invasion or aggression situations, the result is given to the victim team with a 3-0, which is what happened.
-Algunos Argentine football leaders say that if Julio Grondona had been alive, the game would have completed.
-I don’t believe it. I had the opportunity to live with him in some meetings, and we had enough confidence. I think he would have opined the same as me. In the end, we would have agreed that it should be suspended.
-It has also been said that, if the episode of pepper gas had not occurred, the party would have been suspended. Do you agree?
-No. The only reason why the party was suspended was pepper gas. It is not the same thing that a fan is launched or a member of the coaching staff; The aggression went directly to the players, the actors of the game. And it doesn’t matter how many players were affected; It was an aggression.
-Isn’t it that the sports punishment for Boca was somehow unfair? I say, in short, the players did nothing to suspend the game and were left without the possibility of completing the second half.
-There is an important point that perhaps we should have mentioned at the beginning, but it is also good to close. The local team is the main responsible for the organization of the party. He is responsible for coordinating with the commissioner, with the security officers and, of course, of controlling his fans. If you look at it from that side, it is true that Boca players did nothing to make this happen. But they were harmed by their own people. I don’t know if calling it “unfair”, but it was a damage caused by its own audience, which ended up affecting the team.