Lima (EFE).- The consumer protection authority sanctioned Alianza Lima with a fine of 2.4 million soles ($677,600) for turning off the stadium lights at the end of the 2023 Liga 1 final, which they lost against their eternal rival Universitario, according to a definitive resolution released this Thursday.
The sanction imposed on Alianza Lima responds to the fact of turning off the lights of the Alejandro Villanueva stadium “without justification and in an uncoordinated manner”, during the final of the Peruvian league, which exposed “more than 26,000 attendees” to the match to “unjustified risk”.
Alianza Lima exposed to attendees
Imagen generada con Sora / Diseño e infografía: Mesa integrada Deportes Agencia EFE
In the second and final administrative instance, the Specialized Chamber for Consumer Protection of the National Institute for the Defense of Competition and the Protection of Intellectual Property (Indecopi) ruled that the lights-out violated the tournament regulations that require maintaining the lighting until the stadium is completely evacuated.
In addition, the court added that the club took that measure without coordinating with the authorities present and that the National Police, the Prosecutor’s Office, and representatives of the Peruvian Football Federation (FPF) requested to restore the lights in the stadium, but that Alianza Lima refused to do so.
The darkness in the white-and-blue stadium to prevent Universitario’s celebrations exposed attendees to unsafe conditions and favored events such as “the launching of lit flares and attempts to invade the playing field,” Indecopi pointed out.
Indecopi imposes strict measures on the club
Jugadores de Alianza Lima, en una imagen de archivo. . EFE/ José Jácome
The authority ordered Alianza Lima to train its staff and directors in security protocols for sporting events, under the supervision of a specialized entity, and to adopt internal control mechanisms that ensure strict compliance with regulations in future events.
Likewise, Indecopi reported that Alianza Lima must issue a new statement regarding the lighting and throwing of flares in the stadium, which could “lead to an additional fine to the one already imposed”.
