FIFA has acknowledged being embarrassed by a security lapse that let ticketless Chile fans rampage into the Maracana Stadium, according to The Associated Press.
Fences have been breached by fans at both World Cup matches staged at the country's biggest and most prestigious stadium which hosts the final on July 13, the AP reported.
"It is embarrassing," FIFA director of security Ralf Mutschke said Thursday, one day after 88 ticketless Chile fans broke into the sold-out venue ahead of their team's 2-0 win against Spain, according to the AP.
Mutschke said security operations at the World Cup must "improve in order that this will not happen again," the AP reported. Brazilian authorities said the fans were detained after smashing their way through a perimeter wire fence into the stadium media center.
Chile's consul general in Rio, Samuel Ossa, told reporters that the fans will be arrested if they do not leave Brazil within 72 hours and would likely have to spend time in jail while Brazilian authorities go through a process to deport them, according to the AP.
"They're getting off easy," Ossa said, the AP reported. "They were not criminals. They are people who overstepped their passion and made a mistake and have to pay for it."
Four days earlier, at least 10 Argentina fans were detained in Rio after jumping fences to try to see their team play last Sunday in another sold-out match against Bosnia-Herzegovina, according to the AP.
Chilean fan Luis Galvez said his group of friends without tickets got past four security lines until being stopped outside the stadium, the AP reported.
"Operational procedures are being reassessed and definitely you will see a difference in the next event," Hilario Medeiros, security manager for Brazilian organizers, according to the AP. "We knew that this was a high risk operation."
