CBRN event in Colombia on Sat 9th May 2026

José Boto condemned violent scenes at Atanasio Girardot during Flamengo’s Libertadores meeting with Independiente Medellín in Colombia. "We had not proposed playing behind closed doors. We saw what the press was saying, that there were problems between Medellín officials and supporters. From the start we could see there were no safety conditions," Boto said, speaking to Coluna Do Fla. "Right at the start, flares were being thrown towards Rossi, there was no barrier and not enough police. There was tear gas and some players cried. It was obvious it would not be possible to play, but we are ready to play if safety is guaranteed," he added. The match became chaotic from kick-off as home supporters threw bombs, set fires in the stands and tried to get onto the pitch. Players from Flamengo and Independiente Medellín went back to the dressing rooms. After lengthy talks between the clubs and stadium security authorities, Conmebol cancelled the game. With the fixture off, Flamengo now await confirmation of the three points from the tie. The squad are due to leave Colombia overnight for Porto Alegre to face Grêmio on Sunday (10) in the Brasileirão.