Mexico national team manager Javier Aguirre was hit in the head with a beer can following the team’s 2-0 loss to Honduras in the first leg of a CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal.
The incident happened at Estadio Francisco Morazán in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, as Aguirre, 65, was approaching Honduras manager Reinaldo Rueda for a post-match handshake.
Here’s the video. Great night for Honduras marred – once again – by bad fan behavior.
We’ve gotten too used to fans chucking things. It shouldn’t take this for the culture to shift, but here’s a wake-up call.https://t.co/2eiXvBN168
— Jon Arnold (@ArnoldcommaJon) November 16, 2024
“Nothing, nothing, it’s football,” Aguirre said of being hit with a beer can that ended up bloodying him.
“They deserved to win, they were better than us in areas, I’ve got nothing left but to congratulate them, and well, to try to lift my team’s spirit. The other thing, there’s no point in even mentioning it because well, it’s football, I’m not one to complain.”
Said Rueda of what happened, “I’m sad about what happened at the end. That truly can’t ever happen again, here or in any other stadium in Honduras or any stadium in the world.
“I’m sad because he’s a human being, because just like they hit [Aguirre], they could’ve hit me. That’s something that can’t happen, we send our apologies to Mexico, its people and Aguirre. The party gets damaged, all the efforts our players made on the pitch get tarnished. Something like this happening is regrettable.”
Mexico’s soccer federation condemned the actions in a statement released after the game.
“The FMF unequivocally condemns the acts of violence that occurred tonight at the Francisco Morazán stadium in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Such behavior has no place in our sport.
“We demand that CONCACAF take immediate and decisive action to address this matter in accordance with its regulations. Soccer should be a celebration, not a battleground. We urge all parties, including institutions, managers, players, fans, and the media, to work together to create a safe and respectful environment for everyone involved.”
CONCACAF has begun an investigation and referred the incident to the CONCACAF Disciplinary Committee for further review.
After losing the first leg, Mexico needs to score at least twice in Tuesday’s second leg at home to have a a chance to move on to the semifinal round in March. Nations League utilizes away goals as a tiebreaker in this stage of the competition.