Uruguay striker Darwin Nunez was today handed a five-match ban by Conmebol for his part in the brawl that marred the end of their Copa America clash with Colombia in July.
Nunez was a central figure as the semi-final in Charlotte, which Colombia won 1-0, descended into chaos at the final whistle with fans fighting in the section next to the one that housed the players’ families.
The Uruguay players attempted to protect them and in the process ended up trading punches with Colombia supporters.
Liverpool star Nunez was seen on video aggressively confronting spectators with several other players, such as Tottenham’s Rodrigo Bentancur and Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo, also involved in fighting.
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Conmebol today handed down their punishments with Nunez banned for five international games and fined $20,000. Bentancur will miss the next four games and have to pay a fine of $16,000. Araujo, Mathias Olivera and Josema Gimenez have been suspended for three games and fined $9,000 each.
Six other Uruguay players — Sebastián Cáceres, Matías Viña, Emiliano Martinez, Brian Rodríguez, Santiago Mele and Facundo Pellistri — were fined $5,000 each and the Uruguayan federation was fined $20,000.
The incident – and the accusation that Uruguay players were in the wrong – infuriated coach Marcelo Bielsa, who said at the time: “How can you not defend your mother, your sister, a baby?
“If they did not do it, they would have been condemned by all of us.
“The sanction does not have to be for the footballers, but for those who forced them to act like this.
“This is a witch hunt. It is a shame.”
Bielsa added: “We are in the United States, the country of security.
“You should have asked me if we have received an apology, not if I fear sanctions.
“What sanction are they talking to me about? What we have to see is when are they going to apologise.”
