Colombia‘s win over Uruguay in the 2024 Copa America semifinals was marred by the controversial brawl at the end of the match, with Darwin Nuñez and other players fighting against Colombian fans in the stands.
CONMEBOL first reacted with a statement condemning the acts of violence that took place at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, but the governing body now has opened an investigation into this episode.
“The Disciplinary committee of 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 between the national teams of Uruguay and Colombia,” the statement read.
Shortly after the final whistle, chaos unleashed in one of the lower stands as Nuñez was seen throwing and receiving punches at Colombia fans with other Uruguayan players around him.
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The images immediately went viral and started to give plenty to talk about on social media, with several videos about the incident circulating on the Internet. In one of those videos, Nuñez was seen attempting to hit fans with a chair. The Uruguayan players later claimed they were defending their families from violent Colombian fans in that stand.
Uruguay’s Jose Maria Gimenez complains about aggressive Colombian fans
Shortly after the brawl broke out and Nuñez got heavily engaged in the fight with the Colombian supporters, Uruguay defender Jose Maria Gimenez complained about the lack of security for their families on the stand.
“Let me say something before they cut you off because they won’t let us speak into the microphone, they don’t want me to say anything about what’s going on but this is a disaster,” Gimenez said on the official broadcast, via Al Jazeera. “Please be careful, our families are in the stands, there are little newborn babies. It was a disaster; there was no police and we had to defend our families. This is the fault of two or three people who had a few too many drinks and don’t know how to drink.”
Darwin Nuñez, Gimenez facing possible lengthy ban
Nuñez could be facing a lengthy suspension after exchanging blows with Colombian fans in the stands as those kinds of actions violate CONMEBOL’s Disciplinary Code.
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“To violate the minimum guidelines of what is to be considered acceptable behavior in the realm of sports and organized soccer“ and “to commit an act of violence or aggression” are punishable actions, according to the Code.
The Liverpool star is at risk of being given at least a one-match ban, which would rule him out for the Copa America 2024 third-place match against Canada.
Jose Maria Gimenez, on the other hand, could also be punished for his postgame comments, in which he stated “Let me say something before they cut you off because they won’t let us speak into the microphone.”
If the governing body finds that phrase as “insulting CONMEBOL, its authorities, officials, etc., in any way and by any means,” the defender could be suspended for up to five matches.