Uruguay’s Nunez banned for five games over Copa America incidents
Liverpool’s Uruguayan striker Darwin Núñez has been handed a five-match ban and fined by the South American football governing body, CONMEBOL, following his involvement in a mass brawl during the Copa América semi-final.
The incident, which took place at the end of the match between Uruguay and Colombia in Charlotte, led to the suspension of Núñez and four other players, with a total of 11 players sanctioned after a thorough investigation.
Núñez was one of the players who entered the stands at the Bank of America Stadium, where he engaged in physical altercations with fans during the chaotic aftermath of the game.
As a result, Núñez received the harshest penalty among those involved, while others faced suspensions ranging from four matches to less, along with monetary fines.
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur was suspended for four matches, while defenders Mathías Olivera, Ronald Araújo, and José María Giménez each received three-match bans.
Núñez was fined $20,000, with the fines for the other players ranging from $16,000 to $5,000. Six additional players were fined without suspension.
The Uruguayan Football Federation was also fined $20,000, which will be deducted from their revenue and prize money.
Uruguay central defender José María Giménez explained that the players intervened out of concern for the safety of their family members who were seated in that section of the stadium.
While the punishments are subject to appeal, CONMEBOL has not yet specified when the suspensions will begin. The bans apply only to games organized by CONMEBOL and do not affect domestic competitions.
Uruguay is set to play a friendly match against Guatemala in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Sunday, followed by World Cup qualifiers at home against Paraguay on September 6 and away against Venezuela on September 10.
Colombia, who won the semi-final 1-0, eventually lost the final to Argentina.
[…] time running out in the transfer window, Chelsea is pushing hard to bring in a quality striker, and Osimhen tops their list. However, if they are […]