MEXICO CITY, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Queretaro FC fans will be barred from attending their club's home matches for the next year following bloody riots during a match against Atlas, the Liga MX said on Tuesday.
Mexican Football Federation (FMF) president Yon de Luisa and Liga MX chief Mikel Arriola also announced that Queretaro's official supporters group had been banned for three years while the club's four owners were blacklisted from all league activities for five years.
"We gave the clubs the right to a hearing. We heard testimonies from stewards and others involved," De Luisa told reporters.
"From the evidence collected, it was proven that there were omissions by the private security company, police officers, and Club Queretaro, which was responsible for hiring them."
The disciplinary action came after 26 people were injured, three critically, in clashes between rival supporters during Saturday's Liga MX match at Estadio La Corregidora in central Mexico.
The game was called off in the 62nd minute with Atlas leading 1-0 after many panicked fans sought refuge by running onto the pitch.
Arriola said Queretaro had forfeited the fixture, with Atlas awarded a 3-0 victory.
Queretaro was also fined 70,000 U.S. dollars while Atlas' ultras were barred from away matches for six months.
Meanwhile, the FMF and Liga MX outlined measures affecting fans of other clubs in an effort to prevent a repeat of the violence.
Organized supporter groups are prohibited from attending away matches and cannot receive funds from their clubs, the officials said.
Arriola said the league was seeking to implement facial recognition technology at stadiums to improve security.
According to De Luisa, Saturday's events have not affected Mexico's status as a co-host of the FIFA 2026 World Cup alongside the U.S. and Canada.
"I have been in communication with the presidency of FIFA and CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central America and the Caribbean)," he said. "Both organizations condemned the events but expressed their support. We are not talking about the 2026 World Cup." ■
