After a 12-year ban, the Argentine football association has decided to gradually welcome away fans back from this round of fixtures. For now, this will only happen in Buenos Aires province.
In 2013, after a series of extremely violent incidents with fatal outcomes, it was decided to ban away fans from stadiums. This first happened in the Buenos Aires district, but other districts soon followed suit.
Buenos Aires is now the only province that will allow away fans back in. The decision by the Argentine football association AFA was partly influenced by the return of star player Ángel Di María to his old club Rosario Central. The first trial therefore took place at a Rosario Central away match, at Lanús. Rosario Central were allowed to bring 6,500 supporters for Di María's debut.
Away fans are already welcome in international competitions such as the Copa Libertadores and the Copa Sudamericana. Just last month, tensions escalated again between rival ultras at the Independiente – Universidad de Chile match. More than 300 Chileans were arrested.
