Peñarol Opens Internal Investigation Into Security Failures at Estadio Campeón del Siglo

Losing the derby already stings enough, but what turned up afterward in police footage left Peñarol facing a far more uncomfortable problem. At the Estadio Campeón del Siglo, security irregularities surfaced that have nothing to do with the result on the field, and they're now forcing the club to take a hard look at its own operations.

The whole situation came to light after clashes with police once the match against Nacional had ended. Footage released by authorities showed something no fan wants to see: prohibited items that were already inside the stadium before the derby even kicked off, and illegal vendors operating freely in the stands.

Facing that scenario, the club wasted no time responding. Peñarol announced on social media a decision aimed squarely at finding those responsible: "The Board of Directors of Club Atlético Peñarol has resolved to launch an internal investigation to identify possible responsibility on the part of staff, outside contractors or club officials regarding the irregularities that took place at the Estadio Campeón del Siglo."

A Space No One Had on Record

The most striking part of the episode involves the Cataldi stand. According to Alfredo Clavijo, the officer in charge of the police operation, a group of Peñarol fans gained access to a space that security forces hadn't even identified as existing.

They broke through some blocks, and inside that room there were flags and fireworks.Alfredo Clavijo

In other words, this wasn't just a simple lapse in gate control. It was a space within the stadium itself that was being used as a hideout, one that nobody had detected until that moment. That's where the internal investigation starts to make sense, because the question left hanging in the air is how something like this could have been set up without anyone knowing.

On top of that, the AUF's Security Commission raised another complaint that makes matters worse: vendors selling merchandise in the stands without any kind of authorization, some of them offering items that are strictly banned from any stadium, such as ski masks.

The combination of both findings, the fireworks and flags stashed in an unregistered space plus the illegal sale of dangerous items, is what pushed Peñarol to take action. The club's goal is to determine whether there was negligence, complicity, or outright responsibility on the part of the outside contractors in charge of security and access control on match days.

Meanwhile, the internal investigation continues, and the outcome could lead to sanctions for anyone found responsible. What's clear is that the derby left behind much more than an unfavorable scoreline: it exposed security failures that go well beyond anything that happened on the pitch.