Following their Copa América semi-final defeat, Uruguay players clashed with Colombia fans before security intervened to restore order. The incident occurred after Colombia secured a 1-0 victory in Charlotte, North Carolina. Videos on social media showed Uruguay players, including Darwin Nunez and Ronald Araujo, engaging in physical altercations with opposition fans in the stands.
CONMEBOL, South America’s football governing body, announced an investigation into the incident, condemning all forms of violence in football. “Our work is based on the conviction that soccer connects and unites us through its positive values,” CONMEBOL stated. “There is no place for intolerance and violence on and off the field.”
Uruguay captain Jose Maria Gimenez explained that players were trying to protect their families. “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,” he said during the official broadcast.
Players and staff from both teams were also involved in a confrontation on the field after the match. Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa, initially unaware of the severity of the situation, later learned about the problems in the stands. “I thought that the incident ended with some argument on the midfield and when I saw that happening I went to the locker room,” Bielsa mentioned in a press conference.
Colombia’s Jefferson Lerma scored the decisive first-half header, securing their place in Sunday’s final. Uruguay will face Canada in the third-place playoff.
Source: ghmediahub
