Chinese authorities tend to do a good job when it comes to keeping fans, especially visiting fans, safe. However what they’ve yet to figure out how to deal with is local derbies. Having followed Chinese football for many years, this reporter saw the worst violence he’s ever witnessed after a Shanghai derby many years ago. There were reports of isolated incidents around the Guangzhou and Dalian derbies last weekend.
This weekend, incidents took place in the southwest city of Chongqing, the scorching summer heat was sure to play a factor in the incident as well as a general lack of segregation of fans and everyone confidently wearing their colors around the stadium. Lifan are the old guards in the city, always a team that has struggled with attendance, but is known for a strong core of fans. However, a lot of their fans have felt abandoned by a club that has struggled over the years and was relegated from the top flight New boys Chongqing FC were founded on the last day of 2010 and earned promotion to League One in their first year of existence. Fans of the two clubs clashed at a bus stop outside of the stadium before riot police stepped in and separated the sides.
Here are a few more pictures from the incident in Chongqing:
