A Primera Liga match between Huachipato and Universidad de Chile is facing uncertainty after regional authorities denied a venue request stemming from ongoing wildfire recovery efforts. The Bío Bío Presidential Delegation cited ongoing emergency operations in Tomé,Penco,and Concepción as the reason for blocking Huachipato’s bid to host the game in Talcahuano,prioritizing police resources for disaster relief. The decision underscores the growing impact of the recent wildfires on daily life and sporting events in the region, and highlights new league mandates requiring clubs to secure multiple alternative stadium options.
Huachipato is racing against the clock to secure a venue for their upcoming Primera Liga match against La U, after the Bío Bío Presidential Delegation denied their request to host the game in Talcahuano.
The denial, confirmed earlier today, stems from the state of catastrophe currently gripping the region following devastating wildfires that impacted Tomé and Penco. The decision throws the fixture into doubt as Huachipato scrambles to find an alternative location.
Anticipating potential issues like this, the ANFP (Chilean National Professional Football League) recently mandated that all clubs have four alternative stadium options available. This move aims to prevent match postponements, a recurring problem throughout 2025.
According to league regulations outlined in pre-tournament documentation – known as “Cuadernos de Cargos” – “each club must present a minimum of four framework agreements or letters of conformity from stadium owners or administrators, for stadium use throughout the year.”
Huachipato has registered, in addition to their home ground in Las Higueras, the Ester Roa Rebolledo in Concepción, the Santa Laura-SEK in Independencia, and the Nelson Oyarzún in Chillán.
The league also stipulates that the home team is responsible for all match organization, including the stadium, logistics, and technical conditions. Failure to comply is considered a serious offense.
Bío Bío Delegation Explains Huachipato Venue Denial
Following reports that the Bío Bío Regional Presidential Delegation rejected Huachipato’s request to host Universidad de Chile in the region, Delegate Eduardo Pacheco explained the reasoning behind the decision.
Pacheco emphasized that the province of Concepción is currently under a constitutional state of exception due to the ongoing disaster.
“All security efforts by the police are currently focused” on the areas affected by the fires in Tomé, Penco, and Concepción.
Adding to the concerns, a report from Carabineros (Chilean police) recommended playing the match behind closed doors, along with a significant reduction in stadium capacity.
A further key factor in the decision was a report from CONAF (Chilean Forestry Corporation) highlighting the high amount of vegetation – and therefore combustible material – surrounding Huachipato’s stadium.
And “obviously, the security alerts we have regarding what has happened during the last few weeks… in stadiums across the country.”
Alongside confirming the rejection, Pacheco explained that the DPR “has provided all the necessary coordination” to help the clubs find another stadium that meets the security conditions that are currently very fragile and complex.”
Listen to the full statement from Eduardo Pacheco
