Tear gas thrown at Villareal-Celta Vigo match

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Investigators insist that Saturday's incident at the Madrigal was pre-planned and that the culprit was inside the stadium from the start of the match.

The incident that saw a tear gas canister thrown on to the pitch during Saturday night’s match between Villarreal and Celta Vigo has been described as “a premeditated attack intent on causing chaos”.

After the opening reactions in the immediate aftermath of the incident, a clearer picture of events is beginning to emerge. Investigation sources insist that the incident was not a chance attack and that the individual responsible was in the stadium from the start of the match.

Initial theories suggested that the attacker had entered the stadium during the match to throw the tear gas canister and escape immediately after the act. Speculation existed that the culprit did so by taking advantage of rules that oblige clubs to open the turnstiles ten minutes before the final whistle, so as to make it easier for spectators to leave the ground.

However, consultation of CCTV footage and interviews with the security staff at the entrances to the Madrigal have led to the conclusion that the individual did not access the ground during the final minutes of the match. It is therefore assumed that the culprit was already inside the stadium and moved to the upper section of the south stand to throw the object from the stairs of one of the exits.

According to the security footage, the culprit was not wearing a balaclava. However, the images are not clear enough to allow the individual to be 100% identified. After releasing the ring and throwing the gas canister, the attacker ran out of the stadium without waiting to witness the effects of the action.

It is thought that the thrower may have exited the stadium through gate 10 of the south stand, using supporters already making their way from the stands as camouflage. The investigation is even weighing up the possibility that the culprit changed clothes on escape.

The effects of the tear gas lead medical services at the Madrigal to treat approximately 20 people affected by breathing difficulties, stinging eyes and shock.

Possible sanctions for Villarreal

Villarreal now face varying sanctions depending on the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) Competition Committee’s verdict on the incident. Minor offences are punishable by a fine of up to 600 euros, with serious infringements leading to a warning or stadium closure (one to three games or two months) and a fine of up to 3,000 euros. Very serious offences are punishable by a warning or stadium closure (between four matches and one season) and a fine of up to 30,000 euros.

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Luckily we don't have to regret any serious injuries, but we most certainly would be if the thrown 'bomb' was bigger or the gas stronger. I sit in the north stand, the one opposite from the one the gas was thrown, so in my area, at first, people were confused, as we thought it was a flare or a smoke bomb but a 'normal' one -still, we were confused and surprised, as something like this never happens at El Madrigal-, but when we saw people in the other stands were quickly leaving the stadium, so were the players, we thought something was wrong with the gas, and seconds later, when it reached the north stand, we understood why - it was clearly not a 'normal' smoke bomb but some kind of toxic gas or, as they are saying, most probably tear gas - I could immediately feel tears in my eyes, but most of all I felt like my lips and my mouth were burning and I couldn't breathe well, people were coughing and quickly trying to go up or down the stairs to the closest gate, and for a few seconds I rather frightened, because it really was difficult to breathe and also because people were all trying to go up the stairs at the same time, pushing each other, and I thought that could go wrong aswell, but luckily we all could go out quite fast and there weren't many serious injuries apart from a man with a broken arm as he fell down while trying to get of the stands, and a few people feeling slightly worse than the rest. I felt like my mouth and throat were burning for a minute or so, but after drinking some water, a couple of minutes later I was fine, so most people were. Still, as I said, even though it all happened very quickly, in only seconds time, it was a rather bad situation to see people not being able to breathe normally thus wanting to leave the stands quickly, with some old people having trouble to do it, a few kids crying, etc.
There are rumours that the "person" who throw the gas did it from one of the vomitoria in that stand, as some people claim to have seen somebody with some kind of balaclava running down the stairs of that vomitorium seconds after the gas was thrown. Obviously I can say nothing 100% sure about it, since I am in the opposite stand from the one where the gas was thrown, but I, same as most Vila-real fans and even the chairman, think it wasn't a Vila-real fan doing this, but somebody who got inside the stadium at that very moment to throw it and then go away. It would make no sense at all to have a Vila-real fan throwing tear gas in the stadium for the rest of the fans to feel bad and to put the club in big trouble. Because now, we'll see what happens to the club - a fine will be there for sure, and I fear we'll have our stadium closed down, even though us, the real fans, are not responsible for this at all, we were more like the 'harmed' in this situation.

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