Summary Angry fans assaulted four players of Peruvian club Alianza Lima after 4-0 loss in Libertadores Cup.
LIMA (AFP) - Angry fans swarmed the changing rooms of Peruvian top-flight club Alianza Lima and assaulted four players on Thursday after a humiliating 4-0 drubbing in the Libertadores Cup.
"Between 24 and 30 people entered the Alejandro Villanueva Stadium and went to the changing rooms, where there was an attempt to beat up the players," Interior Minister Daniel Urresti told journalists.
He said stadium personnel quickly intervened and managed to eject the intruders.
But four players were assaulted, including winger Victor Cedron, who was cut on the eyebrow and went to the police to press charges.
Supporters were irate after Alianza suffered the embarrassing rout at the hands of Argentina s Huracan in their first-leg match for the first stage of the Libertadores Cup, the top South American club tournament, on Tuesday.
That night midfielder Miguel Araujo slapped a fan who approached him to complain about the loss, while winger Christian Cueva launched into a tirade of insults against another disgruntled fan.
On Wednesday, Alianza s official fan club, the "Southern Command," told the players: "You have been warned. Now we re going to see how tough you are."
Both Araujo and Cueva were among those attacked Thursday, along with Uruguayan midfielder Gabriel Costa.
Araujo had apologized on Facebook for the fan-slapping incident, saying: "I m human and I made a mistake."
The interior ministry said stadium security would be reinforced after the violent incidents.
