Tournament organizer CONMEBOL launched into investigation into the ugly scenes at the end of the Copa America semifinal on Wednesday that saw Uruguayan players fighting with spectators.
Following Uruguay’s 1-0 loss to Colombia in Charlotte, numerous Uruguayan players went into the stands and had an altercation with fans. Punches were thrown as beer and garbage rained down on the melee.
Darwin Nunez and Ronald Araujo were among the players identified as being in the middle of the incident, which Uruguay captain Jose Maria Gimenez said was sparked by drunken fans threatening the safety of the players’ families.
Gimenez was also highly critical of the lack of security and police on the scene.
In a statement on Thursday, the South American football confederation wrote, “CONMEBOL has opened an investigation to understand the sequence of events and the responsibilities of those involved in the acts of violence that occurred at the end of the match.
“We want to reaffirm and warn that no action will be tolerated that tarnishes this global football celebration.
“It is unacceptable that an incident like this turns passion into violence. Therefore, no behavior that harms the sporting competition will be tolerated.”
Prior to the incident in the stands, Uruguayan and Colombian players engaged in some postmatch shoving at the pitch’s center circle.
Uruguay will remain at the same venue to oppose Canada on Saturday in Copa America’s third-place match. Colombia will face defending champion Argentina in the final on Sunday at Miami Gardens, Fla.
–Field Level Media
