CARACAS: Venezuela on Wednesday accused the Peruvian government of “kidnapping” its national football team, accusing Lima of refusing to allow the team’s aircraft to refuel after a 1-1 draw between the two teams in a 2026 World Cup qualifier.
The diplomatic spat began after the match, when Venezuelan players accused Peruvian police of beating them when they went to greet fans on Tuesday night.
It was a tumultuous night for the South American qualifiers, after a match between Brazil and Argentina in Rio de Janeiro led to ugly clashes between fans.
“The Peruvian government has carried out another arbitrary act against the Venezuelans by preventing the plane bringing the team back from refueling,” Foreign Minister Yvan Gil wrote on social media.
“This is kidnapping as vengeance against our team which played an extraordinary match” in Lima, he added.
The Peruvian government said that it “has not ordered any measure that prohibits the refueling” of the aircraft” and that “it is taking steps to resolve this situation as soon as possible.”
“The aforementioned aircraft has been experiencing private commercial supply restrictions beyond the control of the Peruvian State,” he added.
Hours earlier, Venezuelan footballer Nahuel Ferraresi showed bandages on his right hand, saying Peruvian police “beat me.”
“These are things which should not happen. The match was over and we went to thank our Venezuelan supporters,” he said.
Ferraresi said another player had handed his jersey over to fans, and he was about to throw his to the crowd when the police blocked him.
“Then others got angry, I don’t know what happened, and (the police) took out their batons to hit us. They hit me twice... but it’s not a serious injury.”
Videos of the incident, which show Peruvian police officers brandishing their batons against the players, have gone viral on social media.
Venezuela’s football federation condemned “acts of discrimination and xenophobia” against the team and their fans.
After the draw, Peru is in last place in the qualifiers, while Venezuela — which has never qualified for a World Cup — is in an unprecedented fourth place.
Before the match, Peruvian police carried out an unusual identity check among fans, and were accused of targeting Venezuelans.
This move comes a week after a controversial decree came into force authorizing the government to expel foreigners.
Peru is home to some 1.5 million Venezuelan immigrants, many of whom have fled a crippling economic crisis at home.
Venezuela accuses Peru of ‘kidnapping’ football team in post-match spat
https://arab.news/vegyw
Venezuela accuses Peru of ‘kidnapping’ football team in post-match spat
- The diplomatic spat began after the match, when Venezuelan players accused Peruvian police of beating them when they went to greet fans
- “The Peruvian government has carried out another arbitrary act against the Venezuelans,” Foreign Minister Yvan Gil wrote on social media
Kane scores as Bayern deliver comeback romp over Leipzig
- The victory restores Bayern’s 11-point lead atop the ladder over second-placed Borussia Dortmund
- Leipzig took a first-half lead through Romulo, but Bayern kicked into gear after the break
LEIPZIG, Germany: Harry Kane scored his 21st goal of the Bundesliga season as Bayern Munich came from behind to win 5-1 at RB Leipzig on Saturday.
The victory restores Bayern’s 11-point lead atop the ladder over second-placed Borussia Dortmund, while continuing their record-breaking campaign.
Unbeaten Bayern have dropped just four points on their way to a record-equalling tally of 50 after 18 games. Bayern’s total of 71 goals scored is also a record at this stage of a German league season.
Leipzig took a first-half lead through Romulo, but Bayern kicked into gear after the break, Serge Gnabry, Kane, Jonathan Tah, Aleksandar Pavlovic and Michael Olize all scoring.
Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said Leipzig were “twice as good as we were” in the opening half, adding “but in the second-half — my god, the boys delivered.
“We weren’t afraid and we really went for it.”
Leipzig goalscorer Romulo said “we played 75 minutes really on top, then I don’t know what happened, we turned off our minds. We have to learn something out of that.”
Leipzig were strong early and broke through after 20 minutes when Romulo snuck past Bayern’s Tah to poke in an Antonio Nusa pass from close range.
The hosts were undone in the simplest fashion just after half-time. Dayot Upamecano picked Christoph Baumgartner’s pocket and fed Gnabry, who guided the ball into the bottom corner.
Bayern took the lead after 67 minutes, once again thanks to a Leipzig mistake.
Olize’s floated cross looked harmless until Ridle Baku lost his footing, allowing an unmarked Kane time and space to blast home.
With Leipzig’s resistance broken, Tah, Pavlovic and Olize all scored in the final 10 minutes, while Jamal Musiala returned late off the bench after a six-month injury absence.
- Can rescues Dortmund -
Earlier, an Emre Can penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage time saved Borussia Dortmund’s blushes in a 3-2 home win against lowly St. Pauli.
In the dying moments, VAR found a foul on Germany forward Maximilian Beier, bringing Dortmund captain Can to the spot.
“What a rollercoaster ride,” Can told Sky Germany.
“We need to do much better to settle things down and to convert our chances,” he added.
The hosts overcame a poor first half when Julian Brandt tapped in from close range just before the break. Having created the opener, Karim Adeyemi gave Dortmund a two-goal buffer in the 54th minute, converting a Fabio Silva assist.
Rock-bottom St. Pauli had won just once since September but fought back into the game when James Sands and Ricky-Jade Jones scored inside 10 minutes midway through the second half to stun the hosts.
Deep into stoppage time, Jones caught Beier on the edge of the penalty area, allowing Can to convert nervelessly from the spot.
Elsewhere, Hoffenheim’s Wouter Burger scored the only goal in a 1-0 home win over flailing Bayer Leverkusen to climb past Leipzig into third in the table.
Burger swung in an excellent free-kick after nine minutes to give the hosts the three points.
“That was an important one,” Burger said of his free-kick. “I was practicing them a bit this morning.”
Relegation candidates last season, Hoffenheim are on track to qualify for Europe’s top competition for just the second time in their history, having last done so under now-Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann in 2017/18.
Leverkusen have now lost four of their past six, falling three points behind the Champions League placings.
Cologne beat Mainz 2-1 at home, Wolfsburg played out a 1-1 home draw with Heidenheim and hosts Hamburg were held to a scoreless draw by Borussia Moenchengladbach.
