Views and proposals on violence in Argentinean football

The problem of violence in Argentinean football is far from reaching a solution. This is well displayed by the number of deaths recorded: Since 1924, 262 fans have died in events related to this sport. In 2012, five people have died so far. 

Given the seriousness of the problem, a group of 15 academic and scientific researchers have released a document entitled ‘Proposals for action and intervention for the construction of a sportive safety’ in order to change the current situation. The researchers who have signed the document were involved in research related to football violence in the context of public universities and state agencies. They follow the sport regularly.

In Argentina, the voices that refer to this problem are those of sports journalists and the security forces, who often speak of ‘violent people’ and ‘football violence’ while leaving aside the analysis of the causes that give rise to violent practices around football events. Starting with an analysis of the current situation, the paper attempts to advance the prevention of violence and propose long-term processes to have safe sporting events in Argentina.

The situation in Argentina 

The paper presents various factors that allow for the emergence of situations of violence in football in Argentina.

There is a historical factor that allows the Argentinean football culture to be, at the moment, a space for rough and strong men, far from the ethics of the gentlemen who practiced this sport in the early twentieth century. During the matches, triumph is sought at any price and the rival is identified as an enemy. This culture creates, even beforehand, a hostile atmosphere in Argentinean stadiums.

In this sense, a culture of honor is the one which governs the behavior of so-called ‘barras bravas’ [‘groups of hooligans’]. In the ‘barras bravas’, the individuals must constantly expose their violent practices through fighting to gain the admiration of others. The police force is not perceived by the ‘barras bravas’ as a trusted institution, but as an actor towards which they display violence.

Through the use of force, ‘barras bravas’ have made contact with political leaders, law enforcement officials, sports chiefs, trade unionists and businessmen who support them in different ways. This not only allows them to gain benefits related to the matches, such as free tickets and buses to get around, but also the opportunity to work in political campaigns.

With this as a background, the agencies that deal with the issue of safety assume beforehand that football events are dangerous. All of the police’s actions are organized based on the hypothesis of conflict and fans are therefore separated by barriers and fences. This happens in old stadiums with poor conditions and overcrowding at the gates and in the grandstands. These factors generate an hostile environment for the spectators.

The so-called ‘common fan’, who is not part of the ‘barras bravas’, has also changed their practices. In Argentina a new way of being a supporter has emerged in recent times: The supporters are often concerned about the performance of their group of fans – and not about their team’s performance. This type of supporter may celebrate and legitimize the violent behavior of the team’s ‘barra brava’ (including their fighting with other teams’ supporters, singing songs and displaying flags).

Finally, the media’s frequent representations of football also contribute to the problem. It is common in Argentina to refer to football matches using ideas related to war. Continuing controversy and informative tension are common. Controversies over the referees’ decisions and the celebration of the model of the fan who is more aware of other fans than of their own team are also frequent. 

Proposals against violence

After this analysis, we conclude that the violent practices in Argentinean football do not respond to irrational or accidental logic. There are certain conditions, generated by different actors, that give rise to them. Violent practices are not only allowed but are often considered legitimate. Violence is therefore predictable and thus preventable.

The proposals presented in the paper to advance on the problem work on different levels. On the one hand, it proposes a greater participation in decisions of the so-called ‘common fans’. It aims to create institutional channels of dialogue with the clubs to give them a role in many decisions, such as the design of security operations and the adoption of a new law on violence at sporting events. It is necessary to put the non-violent supporters in the center of the scene.

In regards to the security forces, the paper suggests to remove the police from the stadiums and to form a new group of agents to act at sporting events.

As for the ‘barras bravas’, it seems impossible to eliminate them today given the power they have accumulated. But it is feasible to implement more control measures to prevent the violence they cause in the stadiums. If the ‘barras bravas’ are going to continue to enjoy the benefits that come from the sports chiefs, as they do today, at least it is advisable to generate a reliable database of the members that are receiving the perks, which, if continued, would be limited to benefits to enter the stadiums free.

In turn, the media and the ‘common fans’ should forget the prominence they give to violent fans. It is also necessary to create campaigns and training programs to convey the concepts that the paper proposes, and to set aside the legitimacy of violent practices. The venues must also improve hygiene and safety conditions to provide a greater comfort for the spectators.

Changes in the future

The possibilities of generating a change in the Argentinean football culture through the document are not great. But the text at least seeks to provide new visions and proposals to try to resolve the problem of violence in Argentinean football, which is often limited to the actions of ‘barras bravas’. It is clear that the problem is deeper, involves many actors and calls for broader examination in the future.