River Plate stadium should be ready for Copa
River Plate says its Monumental stadium, ransacked by hooligans on Sunday following the club's demotion to the second division, should be ready to host the final of the Copa America on July 24.
The club said Wednesday it had begun stadium repairs after hooligans tore up concession areas, ripped out seats and smashed fixtures in toilets.
The club said a local prosecutor had lifted an order closing the stadium following reports that it had been filled beyond its official capacity of 40,000.
''The way the stadium was left was shocking,'' prosecutor Gustavo Galante told the television channel Todo Noticias.
Sunday's violence left 89 people injured - 30 of them police - and pitted enraged fans fighting hand to hand with a deployment of 2,200 police. Reports said 55 people were arrested, but there have been no reports of prosecutions.
Government and sporting officials have remained largely silent about the violence, which is endemic in football matches in Argentina.
''It's not the time to talk about River,'' AFA President Julio Grondona told reporters on Tuesday, his only public statement about the violence.
Grondona has said repeatedly the violence is a problem of society, and represents the fallout from rising street crime in the South American country.
Also on Wednesday, an explosive device caused minor damage to the residence of Daniel Mancusi, a member of the River Plate board of directors and a supporter of club president Daniel Passarella.
No injuries were reported.
Police said the bomb damaged the door and entry area to the residence.