Argentina might be the 2024 Copa América champions, but that doesn't mean all fighting over the tournament is over.
Several fans have filed lawsuits against both South American soccer governing body CONMEBOL and South Florida Stadium LLC, the operator of the Miami Dolphins’ Hard Rock Stadium, over being denied entry to the Copa final on Sunday, according to ESPN and the Miami Herald.
The situation surrounding Hard Rock stadium was an unmitigated disaster for all involved, except for the ticketless fans at the center of the chaos. After security tried and often failed to keep those fans out of the stadium, the operators opted to close down all gates in an attempt to restore order.
Instead, it created a crush in some areas and ended with many fans who paid hundreds or thousands of dollars waiting outside as the game was played. The game itself was also delayed more than an hour.
The lawsuits put names to the people affected.
ESPN reports one suit filed Monday by Jacqueline Martinez, who alleges she purchased four tickets to the Copa América final for $4,395.59 only to be denied entry, while another was filed Wednesday by Marta Pintos, Eduardo Martinez and Nicolas Osorio. Both suits seek over $100,000 in damages.
In the Herald, Isabel Quintero said she bought two $1,000 tickets for herself and her father as a late Father's Day gift, only for them to be denied entry and Quintero to be pushed, trampled and slammed into objects. Her lawsuit blames the stadium's security for an alleged lack of personnel, training and preparation.
From the Herald:
The defendants “negligently failed to have any procedures... to remove unruly, rowdy, and/or troublesome patrons governing the supervision and/or security of its premises; or in the alternative, ...did in fact have procedures governing the supervision and/or security of its premises, but implemented said procedures in a careless and negligent manner,” the lawsuit says.
Ticketless fans are nothing new at major international soccer events, especially in South America. Yahoo Sports' Henry Bushnell writes that tournament organizers often prepare with multiple security perimeters, which CONMEBOL and Hard Rock Stadium simply didn't do.
And now they could end up paying a considerable price.
CONMEBOL released a statement Monday pointing the finger at Hard Rock Stadium, claiming it "was subject to the decisions made by the Hard Rock Stadium authorities, according to the contractual responsibilities established for security operations," and that its recommendations "were not taken into account."
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