Players from Peru’s national football team got into a fight with Spanish police outside a Madrid hotel on Monday night with Pedro Gallese seen hitting a cop in a viral video
This was a shocking event that shocked football fans all over the world. As things got worse and the players and police started pushing and shoving each other, a Peruvian fan could be heard shouting, “Calm down, calm down, they’re players.”
Goalkeeper Pedro Gallese hits officer as Spain police and Peru football team clash, video goes viral
One of the players from Peru football team was allegedly arrested for hitting a police officer in the eye, but there are different stories about who he was. Some sources say it was 33-year-old goalkeeper Pedro Gallese. He was taken to a nearby police station for questioning and is thought to have been let go afterward.
🚨⚽️ Shocking clash between Spanish police & Peru's football team! Cops block autograph session with fans, brawl erupts! 🚔 Goalie Pedro Gallese arrested, spends night in jail, may miss today's friendly vs Morocco 🇵🇪🔓🇲🇦 Spread the word! #FootballDrama #FreeGallese #PeruVsMorocco pic.twitter.com/bKpEbeTrHF
— Loro.Partners (@PartnersLoro) March 28, 2023
Gallese, who plays for Orlando City in the Major League Soccer (MLS) and is captain of the national team, said, “We wanted to greet the fans and they began to punch us.”
Misunderstanding with police sparked Peru football team clash
Local news said that the trouble started when the players from Peru football team tried to talk to fans who had gathered outside of the NH Collection Eurobuilding. Some of the officers on duty reportedly didn’t recognise the footballers and thought they were fans, which led to a fight that turned violent very quickly.
Peru football team involved in fracas with Spanish police #FMTNews #FMTSports https://t.co/CtwSD4SCv2
— Free Malaysia Today (@fmtoday) March 28, 2023
The Spanish police haven’t said anything official about the situation yet, but one report said that the trouble started when an officer tried to push back Peruvian football player Yoshimar Yotun because he thought he was a fan. Yotun plays for Sporting Cristal. Reports said that several people were arrested, but the police say that only one person was taken into custody.
Peruvian Football Federation expresses regret and calls for calm
When the Peru football team got to the hotel after their last practise before a friendly game against Morocco at Athletico Madrid’s stadium, something bad happened.
The Peruvian Football Federation said they were sorry about what happened and asked for calm “We are respectful of the authorities and the procedures of each country that we visit. For this reason, we are at the full disposal of both the internal and external enforcement authorities and supervisory bodies to try to clarify what occurred.”
The federation also told fans of Peru football team that they shouldn’t react badly to what happened. They said, “We call on them to remain calm and we express our firm rejection of violence.”
Football fans demand investigation and accountability
Football fans are upset and worried about what happened. They are showing their support for the Peruvian team on social media. Many people are calling for a full investigation of what happened and for the people who did it to be held responsible.
At this point, we don’t know exactly what happened outside the Madrid hotel on Monday night. But one thing is for sure: the incident ruined what should have been a happy time for the Peruvian team and left many fans feeling scared and worried.
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