Roberto Rojas and the mysterious firework that lit up the “Maracana” field!

This is the column: “Events and evidence of the soccer ball. – Different stories of sports champions with no similarities between them”

Prologue!

What we will show below is one of the darkest nights in the history of Chilean football.

“At first I heard the explosion and then a terrible pain, where, luckily for me, the object released from the stairs of the stadium had passed right next to my head indirectly, causing a lot of scratches on my forehead. And with all this, FIFA denies that I was hit by a firecracker” – this is how the captain and goalkeeper of the Chilean representative Roberto Rojas will say.

In a press conference, one of the journalists tells him: “Roberto, from the photos it is clear that the flaming object fell at least 1 m from you”. But Rohas, answers by saying that the photos were taken after I was hit…
– Roberto, please tell me that this was all an organized scenario!
– What are you saying, sir? See the doctor’s certificate. The wound on my forehead is not caused by myself. Then the face and shirt covered in blood everywhere…what do you want to prove then?

There were still 20 minutes left in the match between Brazil and Chile when the firework went off with a dramatic display, falling to the ground in front of Chile’s goal, and quickly extinguishing in an explosion of light and smoke. Suddenly, the noise of the 140,000 fans in Rio’s Maracana stadium fell to total silence. Around the world, millions of people watching on television wondered what had happened. Chaos reigned on the field.

From the dense smoke, Chilean captain and goalkeeper Roberto Rojas could be seen rolling on the ground with his gloves covering his face. His teammates come to him, take him in their arms, bleeding, and take him out of the field. As it can be seen from the visuals and also from the photos, his shirt was covered in blood. Twenty minutes later, when the Chileans resolutely refused to re-enter the field, the match was abandoned. A match that will always remain unfinished.

I

Chile was preparing for the first free elections. It is 1989 and only one year had passed since the plebiscite of General Augusto Pinochet, who had organized, as he was convinced, the plan to remain in power and dictatorship for another 8 years. More specifically, we are talking about the Chilean National Plebiscite of 1988, which was a presidential election in form, but not in name, as it was officially referred to as a national referendum.

Held on October 5, 1988, the plebiscite aimed to determine whether Augusto Pinochet, head of a military dictatorship, should become president for another eight years. Even the opposition, which had lined up for a “No” vote, was guaranteed a few minutes of propaganda campaign on television. In order to be written in the list of the chosen ones, it was necessary to pay, and if there is no hope, no one bets on the “horse” that always loses in the race. To advertise itself, the regime had organized a beautiful party with “fireworks”, but ironically, the fireworks had exploded in their hands at the most beautiful moment.

The new Chile of 1989, not only prepared the return to the Omeda Palace of a president elected by the citizens, Chile was “burning” with the great desire and passion to return to the international arena and not only that of politics but also in the football arena. After they were completely absent from the edition of the World Cup in 1986, they were looking towards the edition of the Italy 90 World Cup as a stage to proudly demonstrate the country that had overthrown the generals of the dictatorship with the weak force of pencils.

However, the road to the world championship was a difficult one, because in the elimination group where Brazil was also located, in the end only one team would qualify for the final. But everyone in Chile thought that the forecast could be reversed in their favor.

On August 13, 1989, Chile, however, did not go further than 1-1 against Brazil in its own field in Santiago in front of an extremely passionate fan base. Romario is sent off with a red card immediately, less than a minute after the start of the match, after punching the Chilean defender Alejandro Izis, justifying that Izis had kicked Claudio Branko from the Brazilian side. In 1989, Roberto Rojas is the captain and outstanding goalkeeper of the Chileans representative, a goalkeeper who does not know delicacy, convinced that there is always a solution even when the situation is desperate.

However, in the first match in Santiago, Chile could not beat Brazil, even though many fouls were caused by the hard play of the locals, and even by the fans, objects and hard objects were thrown onto the field, from bottles to shoes, until forced the “carabinieri” to bring some peace and normality to the troubled souls of the Chilean fans. In that violent affair, Chilean coach Orlando Aravena was ejected from the game and Brazilian coach Sebastiao Lazaroni was led off the field by a large contingent of steel-helmeted police. Lazaroni called Aravena an “imbecile” and accused him of inciting the Chilean team to play hard. By now, national pride was at stake. The Brazilians threatened to humiliate Chile on their own field. The leaders of the Chilean Football Federation accused the Brazilians of fearing what might happen to their team in Rio, they went to see General Augusto Pinochet, the president of Chile, who agreed to let the team fly to Brazil on a plane military.

Nothing more belligerent than a deafening barrage of whistles and whistles greeted the Chileans when they took the field. But the Chileans had already “discovered” their strategy. Three days before the game, captain Rohas told the Chilean reporters: before any possible incident, we will leave the field”. Thus, everything would be resolved with the return match at the mythical stadium “Maracana” in Rio De Janeiro.

II

September 3, 1989 Here is the day set for the return match. Also, the Chileans, like the Brazilians in the first match, were not greeted with “flowers”, or “biscuits”, “coffee” or “tea”.

One of the most prominent referees in circulation is chosen to judge the match. From Argentina comes Mr. Juan Carlo Lustau, commercial agent and announced as the best referee of the year in all of Latin America, but with all due respect to Mr. Lustau, the most important Argentinian, will be represented another. His name is Ricardo Alfieri Junior and he is sitting behind the gate with his camera. Among other things, he is the son of the greatest photographer of Argentine football, Ricardo Alfieri Senor.

The teams take to the field in a heated fan climate with these players:
Brazil: 1. Taffarel; 2 Jorginho, 3 Aldair, 4 Mauro Galvão, 5 Branco; 6 Ricardo Gomes (c), 7 Bebeto, 8 Dunga, 9 Careca, 10 Silas, 11 Valdo Coach: Sebastião Lazaroni

Chile: 1 Roberto Rojas (c); 2 Alejandro Hisis, 4 Héctor Puebla, 5 Hugo Gonzáles, 6 Jaime Pizarro, 7 Juan Carlos Letelier, 8 Jaime Vera, 10 Jorge Aravena, 11 Fernando Astengo, 14 Patricio Yáñez, 18 Óscar Reyes; Coach: Orlando Aravena

As soon as the referee’s whistle is heard, the Brazilians attack. In fact, the entire first half will be a monologue of the locals who do not stop without attacking but stop in two or three cases, especially by the outstanding goalkeeper and the Chilean captain, the protagonist of this event, Roberto Rohas. Let’s not forget that Rojas was one of the top goalkeepers in Latin America at the end of the 80s.

Chile’s goalkeeper and captain Roberto Rojas

Chile only defends itself with the exception of a sporadic counterattack from the end of this part, exactly in the minutes when it appears for the first time who the goalkeeper of Brazil is! However, Chile defends well, but when they win the ball, they quickly hand it over to the Brazilians. So not enough for a team that needs to win and qualify for the World Cup finals. However, the match is beautiful and with rhythm, credit to the representative of Brazil.

Statistics that show Brazil’s lead in the first half

In the 10th minute of the second half, the well-known center forward Careca unlocks the result in 1-0 for the locals. The Chilean defenders try in vain to stop his meandering and the shot that, although slightly deflected by the goalkeeper, ends up in the net. “Marakana” explodes as it looks at Brazil, which just takes the lead, freeing itself from the anxiety and fear of an unpleasant surprise..

Kareka’s goal in the 10th minute of the second half.

Now from this minute on, the Chileans will see more of the Brazilians’ goal. However, regardless of their desire and will, the offensive maneuver still does not seem threatening for the team that claims to leave Brazil out of the World Cup finals.

And here…. In the 67th minute, a firework is thrown in the square of the Chile area. The television cameras were focused on a Chilean action at the gate of Brazil and they fail to show what really happened. None of the cameras manage to film the “live” incident, the moment when the fireworks are thrown.

After a few seconds, the cameras show that the flaming object had hit the goalkeeper Roberto Rojas, who is seen lying on the ground, spinning and covering his face. Rohas was bleeding profusely and appeared to have been struck by the object which caused a severe wound to his face. Everything seems to have exploded in his head because from the footage it seems that he is covered in blood, his face, jerseys and even his gloves have blood stains.

Chile refuses to continue the match…

Teammates surround their captain, and someone even turns from the audience gesturing. However, there is no anger on the faces of the Chilean players, but more of a liberating reaction, just like a person who has a knife to his throat and then avoids the fatal moment… and in fact, Chile seems to have now achieved his goal to qualified. Without waiting a minute more for the referee’s decision, they take their goalkeeper by the arm and take him out of the field.

The rest of the Chilean team leave the field in protest and the referee had to suspend play as a result after failing to convince them to continue.

Statistics for the second half without the last 20 minutes played

The hard objects, bottles and shoes, thrown in Santiago in the first match were “caress” compared to the scene that was presented now in “Maracana”. The match is interrupted, maybe suspended. Nothing is clear!!!

III

Brazilian and captain Ricardo Gomez will say: “I was in the middle of the field, confused and terrorized, I was already convinced that we would not be present in the finals of Italia 90. A disqualification after such an incident will not be removed by anyone” .

The local fans from the side of the goal of Chile, where the fireworks were thrown, howl with all their might and want to witness something that no one understands. Well, in football there are many cases that only the fans can watch from the stadium steps. Exactly what the fans are trying to explain by calling out loud is intuitively captured by the photographers who are behind the gate in the circle of the track, the designated area. Like all the others who were following the challenge at the moment of throwing the fireworks, they had their eyes, their attention on the ball and the camera, which means in this case on the other side of the field, to the action…

But all the fans from the back stairs the Rohas goalkeeper continue to shout, explaining with gestures that the goalkeeper was not hit, the firework fell 1 m away…

What about the blood dripping on Rohas’s face and shirt? How could that scene be fabricated? The wound on Roha’s head is a fact!

It was a big wound that probably had to be sewn up..

How can you say then that the firework didn’t even touch it. Come find it!

As I mentioned above, the most important Argentinian was not the referee Lustau who was announced that year (1989) as the absolute best referee in all of Latin America, but the photographer Ricardo Alfieri junior, who will be the only one who will capture with his mystery camera. The famous photographer is in that important qualifying meeting to capture the moments of this very tense challenge on behalf of a Japanese magazine and the contract he has with this magazine reads: “The reels of photo tape must be opened and developed only in Tokyo at the magazine’s editorial office. The development of photos before arrival at the destination is strictly prohibited. Ricardo Junior confirms to his Brazilian colleague Gomez Teheksera that he saw it, photographed it and it is true that “Bengala” fell 1 m away from the goalkeeper Rohas without hitting him, which according to the Argentinian photographer, the entire incident was the captain’s own act. kilo. Ricardo adds: “The coils are Japanese and you can’t joke with the Japanese if you open them to develop them”. Then the Brazilian colleague G. Teheksera tells him “Since you have the fact confirmed in those reels, I will never allow the negatives to come out of Brazil. Also, you can’t joke with Brazil’s qualification”

Gomez Teheksera was adamant even without seeing the photos, he contacted a friend of his who worked on the radio, telling him that he had evidence of Roha’s fraud, but the photos could not be developed due to disapproval. to develop them from the Japanese (as we mentioned above). Ricardo Alfieri was the only witness. This testimony “exploded the bomb”, “hell broke out”!!!

Japanese are contacted who agree to open the reels and develop the photos without arriving in Tokyo. And so in the darkness of the photographer’s laboratory, four shots take shape that clearly prove the fact that the firework fell at least 1 m away from the goalkeeper Roberto Rohas without touching him at all.

“El Grafico”, a well-known publication published in Argentina has the title:

“The farce that stains the soccer ball”!!!

Well, by the way, about the staining of the ball, what about the blood stains on the goalkeeper’s face and shirt? Roberto Rojas, never accepts saying: “What farce? They kept me in the dressing room for four hours. Brazilian doctors have treated me like a laboratory animal. Now they accuse me as if I threw the fireworks and not the woman they arrested”

Woman? What woman are you talking about?

So, the woman who released the flare in the field and who was then arrested is called Rosmery Melo. She is 24 years old, very sexy and has a beauty that will kill you, with her hair like silk in the style of the 80s. She is nicknamed “A fugutuera du Maracana`”, the fireworks woman of Maracana`!

As soon as they interview her on TV, her beauty explodes just like that firework on the field, which, in order to escape the strict control at the entrance of the stadium, had hidden it in the place where the control is not allowed. Few believe it, but many like to imagine the moment of hiding.

However, there are other lies in this convoluted story. The first refutation is made from the photos.

FIFA takes the decision for a 2-0 but…. in favor of Brazil!!!

However, to be explained is always the stubborn fact of the goalkeeper’s bloodied face and jersey…. The refusal to continue the rest of the game by the representative of Chile, without the permission of the referee, was a big mistake; FIFA’s decision to award the match to Brazil apparently did not need much discussion.

So Chile was out of the World Cup and the decision provoked national outrage. The Chilean news media jumped on the fact that the president of the international federation (FIFA), Dr. Joao Havelange, being Brazilian, has claimed a conspiracy against Chile by the “Brazilian football mafia”. The players, who had been welcomed home at 3 am by cheering, flag-waving crowds, were seen as heroes. And the head of Chile’s Navy, Admiral Jose Toribio Merino, scorned Brazil as “a primitive country.”

The president and secretary of the Chilean Football Federation resigned. Roberto Rojas, wrapped in a large bandage on the left side of his forehead, was held as their martyr. Even the Brazilians produced a 24-year-old martyr, Rosemary Mello. She admitted to setting the fire during what she said was her first visit to the Maracana. She was charged with a public order offense and later fled her home after threats from fans who believed she had acting on behalf of Chileans.

FIFA, however, was still pursuing the matter. Guido Tognoni, FIFA’s spokesman, said: ”We have now referred the matter from the disciplinary committee to the full executive committee. We will also await the results of an internal investigation that will be conducted by the new president of the Chilean federation.”

IV

One month passes like this. Chilean goalkeeper Roberto Rojas is back, testifying in “El Grafico” once again his version of the incident. “At first I heard the explosion and then a terrible pain, where, luckily for me, the object released from the stairs of the stadium had passed right next to my head indirectly, causing a lot of scratches on my forehead. And with all this, FIFA denies that I was hit by a firecracker” – this is how the captain and goalkeeper of the Chilean representative Roberto Rojas will say.

One of the journalists tells him: “Roberto, from the photos it is clear that the flaming object fell at least 1 m from you.”

But Rohas, answers saying that the photos were taken after I was hit… thank God that he caught me indirectly, otherwise I would have died”
– Roberto, please tell me what happened ?
– I can’t really say what happened because at that moment I was in a state of shock.
The journalist continues
– The teammates have started to tell the referee that the match ends at this moment, as if this theatrical performance was expected. They immediately made it impossible to control the wound, refused the stretcher and took him directly to the dressing room. Everything was done in a hurry. Okay, if it was well organized.
– No, no and no! You are all completely out of touch with the facts if you think so. On the contrary, it was an incident that Brazil managed very well, turning it in their favor. Look : here are the medical certificates that talk about my inflicted wound.

Finally, you Argentinians don’t come to make us moral. Do you remember how you won the World Cup in 1978? What about Maradona’s goal against the English in the 1986 edition? There seems to be some truth in the goalkeeper’s words, although the truth was given by FIFA (even though there were no facts denying the wound on Roha’s head), which not only disqualified Chile for the edition of the Italy `90 World Cup, but also for the subsequent one, 1994.

Sentences for the president of Chilean football Sergio Stophel, for coach Ravena who is not allowed for the rest of his life to lead any team of any rank or category outside of Chile. For the team’s doctor, Daniel Rodriguez, on the charge of falsifying the medical report. 5 years for Fernando Astego, replacing the captain of Chile who took the team off the field while captain Rohas was lying injured. 1 year sentence for masseur Alehandro Kok. When there is very little time left for the start of the World Cup in Italy, the “wound” opens again, because until that moment no one has been able to completely complete the mosaic of this event.

On the one hand, FIFA has applied the rule based on the photos that, according to it, the suspicion is the “hallway” of the truth. Based on the truth that you can extract from the photos, where it is clear that “Bengala” did not hit the goalkeeper…

On the other hand, how can you say that all this was a well-organized scenario when the whole world watched the goalkeeper Rohas  leave the field in the arms of your friends with an injured head and a bloody body?

What about the Brazilian doctors who checked and examined Rojas and confirmed that the wound on the head exists and is even a deep one…

So someone either exaggerated the incident too much, or did not tell the truth. Right on the threshold of the opening of the Italia 90 World Cup, Orlando Ravena, the coach of Chile, and Fernando Astengo, the vice-captain of the representative team, decide to reveal themselves.

They ask Roberto Rojas to tell everyone the truth. The moment has come to show the world that the whole incident was a good scene organized by him. Rohas, who this time feels as if he was hit by a firework released this time by his friends, calls for a press conference.

Yes, he agrees to tell all the truth, but not the truth that they have suggested him to tell. And Rohas starts to tell: “I asked you to come here to show you once and for all the night of “Maracana”. Yes! The idea was mine and vice-captain Astengo’s. We were aware that before the match in Maracana that the environment and the field would be fiery, burning like a real hell. For this reason, we decided to wait for the smallest chance to attract the team and win the match with disqualification at the table. We informed the masseur, Alehandro Kok. Here is exactly Alehandro Kok, who two hours before the match said to me: “Maestro, everything is fine” and passed me a small scalpel wrapped in plastic wrap with the exception of the tip of the blade. At first I hid it in my sock, but then I put it in my glove.” And here comes the firework as ordered.. “It was exactly the case I was waiting for. I fell to the ground as if I had been shot. And at that moment, as I was lying down, I covered my face with the gloves I had hidden the scalpel, and that’s how I made the cut. Masseur Kok ran towards me and in the confusion that was there he made a second cut” “Only me deputy captain Astengo and Masseur Kok were aware of this plan. The president of the Chilean football federation was completely unaware even though he was the first to “ignite” this climate, demanding our qualification for the world championship at all costs. That’s how I, the captain and goalkeeper of the representative Roberto Rojas, made the biggest mistake of my life, which I’m proving to you now”

Ok, Rojas did the action, but the climate and pressure for which he was pushed was created and ignited by the posts of high. It always happens like this when we sow evil which, as soon as it is put into circulation, generates other unforeseen evils even though in the end the Football Federation of Chile and goalkeeper Rohas did not apologize to anyone and precisely no one forgave them.

“He accepted the idea and I liked that he was tricking everyone, but the testimony of the truth in the end did not help me. I was condemned for life from the football fields, not even to direct the sports classes of the children’s talents. From that night, I always remember my bloodied face and the place where Rozmeri Melo had hidden the firework”

“A fogueteira do Maracanã’

Precisely Rosmery Melo, “a fugueitera”. Her name was revealed in the Brazilian press already a day after the match, and she went on to gain a kind of strangely famous status. She was even asked by ‘Playboy’ to appear in one of their magazines.

Interestingly, or perhaps not, Senhorita Mello had no phone service at her home in São Gonçalo, about 20 miles from the city of Rio de Janeiro, and because of that, the men’s magazine proposal took a while to land. contact him personally. It would appear on the front page of the November ’89 Brazilian edition.

Furthermore, it was said that she decided to come out for the erotic magazine because the Brazilian FA passed on the fine imposed on her by FIFA following the security breach that allowed Mello to throw a firework onto the pitch. The fine was up to 12,000 USD, and apparently her earnings for appearing on the pages of this magazine would cover the amount, and it was suspected that her “price” was up to 40,000 USD.

Even for that woman, mother, the celebration would last as long as the release of that firework, bright and with a short trajectory. It would only take her a month to reach much higher than her firework. But just like the firework that was released that night in the field, her fame would fade quickly, and very soon she would “return” to being one of the many girls of Rio. After no more than 20 years from this event, her lifeless body was found in one of the surroundings of Rio.

There was a time when she had lost that beauty that kills, destroyed even by alcohol until her last days, by alcohol that was not “as loving” as her admirers. Okay, the end of this story full of deceptions, lies, manipulations and mistakes.

The representative of Chile was disqualified from the Italy `90 and USA `94 world championships. The goalkeeper was excluded from every field and every football school of any rank.

Eternal exemption just for a firework?

So! Because this is the fiery world of South American football, a mix of passion, politics, nationalism and theatrical gestures where things are rarely what they seem. While the Chileans claimed that Rojas had been attacked, the Brazilians dismissed the September 3rd incident as a farce, a poorly acted melodrama in which Rojas had faked his injury and Chilean medical staff had rigged the make-up by spraying him with mercury-chromium the wound. The Brazilians thought that Chile, who was losing 1-0 at the time, was trying to win the match on the table or replay it at a neutral site by cheating. It seems impossible, but the stakes were as high as they could reach: a place in the World Cup finals.

However, Roberto Rojas’ lifetime ban was lifted in 2001 and while he was not old enough to play football professionally, he became a manager in 2003, coaching none other than Brazilian giants Sao Paulo for just a few games.

By Pjerin Bj | © Reserved material | The exclusivity on this page
bears the date July 21, 2023

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Sports Vision + / The Hour of The Champions in activity since 2013
Material used on building  this article: “I numeri primi” show on Radio RaiUno by F. Gaziani; COMNEBOL official report; Personal collection of “Calcio 2000” magazine; Internet time press;
The photos were taken from a video of the match in question held in Maracanã in September 1989, qualifying for the World Cup. 1990!