SAEDNEWS: Mexico City’s Benito Juárez borough ordered that the Week 7 Liga MX fixture between Club América and Pachuca be played behind closed doors after it ruled that América’s private security had overstepped its authority — a decision the club and Liga MX publicly rejected as an overreach that unfairly impacted supporters.
According to Saed News, local officials said street closures and access restrictions near Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes had impeded residents — including, they reported, a case in which a person in need of medical attention was delayed — and therefore banned public attendance until the club proved its security staff were properly trained and certified.
The Benito Juárez municipality issued an official notice saying the club’s security personnel had exceeded their authority by closing Indiana Street and otherwise interfering with public access. Officials framed the ban as a measure to protect residents’ safety and public order and said no public events would be allowed at the stadium until the club corrected the alleged problems.
Club América promptly denied the borough’s account, issuing a statement that blamed Mexico City police for the street closures and saying the club had no authority to close public roads. Club executive Héctor González Iñárritu maintained the club had not ordered any independent street closures and called the borough’s action arbitrary, urging authorities to rescind the sanction that he said unfairly harmed fans.
Liga MX sided with América, denouncing the borough’s unilateral sanction as an overreach imposed without a prior hearing or due process. The league argued the decision had unfairly penalized supporters and urged local officials, the club and the league to coordinate quickly to resolve the dispute and avoid further disruption to the Apertura schedule.
Local press coverage reflected competing narratives. Some outlets echoed the borough’s contention that club security interfered with residents’ access; others reported that the closures formed part of an official police security plan or questioned the timing and justification of the ban. Coverage also suggested the dispute may have reflected broader administrative friction between the club and municipal authorities.
Because the order was not overturned in time, the América–Pachuca match went ahead without spectators, depriving supporters and both clubs of match-day atmosphere and gate revenue. The absence of fans underscored the immediate toll such administrative disputes can take on supporters and the competition calendar.
In the days that followed, the outcome depended on administrative appeals and further talks between Benito Juárez officials, Club América and Liga MX. The dispute highlighted questions about clear lines of responsibility for stadium security and the need for coordination between clubs and municipal authorities to avoid punishing fans for operational failures.
