Ricardo Gareca, the coach of Chile, has been officially suspended by CONMEBOL. Gareca, set to lead Chile against Canada, is barred from attending his team’s press conferences and match due to violations of tournament regulations.
Speaking on behalf of Gareca, Chile’s assistant coach Sergio Santín revealed the unfolding drama. Gareca, en route to the scheduled press conference, received notification from CONMEBOL of his one-game suspension. This last-minute development forced Gareca to return to the team hotel, leaving Santín to address the media in his absence.
The sanctions stemmed from a breach of CONMEBOL’s rules, specifically articles 104 and 145, related to delayed appearances of their teams on the field after halftime. The Chilean federation was additionally fined $15,000 for the infraction, highlighting the seriousness with which the governing body treats such offenses.
Ricardo Gareca will miss one game at the Copa América
Ricardo Gareca will miss one game at the Copa América. Article 145 of the tournament regulations outlines the penalties for such violations. It mandates that if players of a team are late to the field beyond the scheduled time, disciplinary action can range from warnings for initial offenses to fines and suspensions for subsequent infractions. In this case, Gareca was deemed responsible for his team’s repeated tardiness, leading to the imposed sanctions.
According to Santín, Gareca’s suspension means he will not be allowed to be present on the field during Chile’s upcoming match; instead, he will have to watch from the stands.
Chile needs a win to have a chance of getting through to the next round of the Copa America over a direct opponent in Canada, who has four points. They also need Argentina to defeat or draw against Peru to create the perfect scenario.