Boca players hurt after bus attacked by River fans - reports

Boca players hurt after bus attacked by River fans - reports
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By Reuters
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By Andrew Downie

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Boca Juniors asked doctors to examine their players minutes before their Copa Libertadores final against arch-rivals River Plate on Saturday after tear gas fired by police at River fans drifted into the Boca team bus, local media reported.

About an hour before kick-off and with the Monumental stadium filled to capacity, Boca officials told reporters some of their players were not fit to play in the decisive second leg.

"The players are all hurt, you can't play this way," Christian Gribaudo, Boca's secretary general said in quotes reported by the Clarin website.

Clarin said six players had vomited in the dressing-room after gas drifted into bus windows smashed by River fans outside the stadium.

Boca and River drew the first leg 2-2 on Nov. 11.

The incident occurred three years after a Copa Libertadores last-16 tie between the same teams was abandoned at halftime after Boca fans attacked the River players with pepper spray in the tunnel.

River were given a bye into the quarter-finals and Boca were kicked out the competition.

(Reporting by Andrew Downie, editing by Ed Osmond)

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