Football
Cesar Hernandez 1y

Queretaro cleared to reopen stadium on March 19, one year after riots

Queretaro will officially reopen the Estadio Corregidora to fans on March 19 following a year-long ban after supporters rioted in the venue last spring.

The Liga MX team made the official announcement on Thursday, saying that it had "satisfactorily complied with the protocols, procedures, and specifications outlined by Liga MX and the Queretaro state government for the reopening of the Estadio Corregidora."

In the announcement, Queretaro invited fans to attend Week 12's match against FC Juarez, which falls shortly after the one-year anniversary of the violent incident during Queretaro vs. Atlas on March 5, 2022, that left 26 injured.

Officials say there were no deaths in the brawls, but that has been disputed by news outlets and fans who have alleged unconfirmed reports of individuals losing their lives in the bloody clashes.

Following the Clausura match that was canceled midway due to the assaults that spilled onto the pitch, Liga MX handed out a number of punishments in 2022.

Queretaro was given a one-year ban for all fans at home games, which included a three-year ban at the stadium for their supporters groups.

As for club owners, those running the team were fined 1.5 million pesos ($81,000) and banned from league-related activities for five years.

Ownership was also moved to Grupo Caliente, who are currently working on selling Queretaro.

League-wide, Liga MX stated last March that they would register individual members of supporters groups, while also putting a temporary and ongoing pause on those groups being able to travel for away games

Additional safety protocols will also make it a requirement by Week 14 or 15 for Liga MX stadiums to use a Fan ID system that mandates online pre-registration for tickets and facial recognition technology at venues.

In conjunction with help from local officials, there has also been a focus on extra security at games in Mexico's top flight.

Aside from the league's punishments, last year's Queretaro fan riots also led to 14 arrests from those linked to the violence.

On a governmental level, five employees involved with policing, civil defense, planning and preparations, were fired.

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