In Uruguay they are still digesting the harsh sanction that Conmebol imposed after the incidents in the semi-final against Colombia, in the last Copa América. Those punished were Darwin Núñez with five matches, Rodrigo Bentancur with four, while Mathías Olivera, Ronald Araujo and José María Giménez must serve three matches each. In addition, they were punished with a large fine. The Liverpool striker, for example, will have to pay US$ 20 thousand and the Tottenham midfielder US$ 16 thousand. Meanwhile, the infraction for the rest of those suspended amounts to US$ 12 thousand each, respectively.
The sanctions do not end there, as players Sebastián Cáceres, Matías Viña, Emiliano Martínez, Brian Rodríguez, Santiago Mele and Facundo Pellistri were also fined. They all received a fine of US$ 5,000. The Uruguayan Football Association (AUF) was also fined US$ 20,000. The total, the figures imposed by Conmebol, reach US$ 122,000.
In addition, Marcelo García, leader of the Uruguayan Football Associationwith the prohibition of entering stadiums in competitions organized by Conmebol for a period of six months. The manager was caught on video attacking a group of Colombian fans. In the video, he can be seen throwing a glass at them from his box, where he was with the president of the federation, Ignacio Alonso, and other senior AUF officials.
In that context, Federico Valverde, midfielder of the Celeste, addressed the sanctions and valued what he said Marcelo Bielsa in the middle of the Copa América, when he defended the Uruguayan team and strongly attacked Conmebol and the organization of the continental competition. “I haven’t spoken to him much, but it’s a sad situation because of the sanctions imposed on other players, which are a bit harsh,” he told Uruguayan media outlet Carve Deportiva.
“We are very grateful to the coach because he was the only person who came out to defend us when we were being killed from all sides. He went out to defend all those players with shield and sword,” added midfielder Valverde.
The CONMEBOL punishments focused specifically on what happened after the match played at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. After a heated match, the Uruguayan players jumped into the stadium stands and had a series of disputes with the Colombian fans. The security of the stadium was completely overwhelmed. However, a possible punishment for Marcelo Bielsa was also expected. The Rosario coach held an incendiary press conference at the time.
Regarding that match, where Uruguay lost by a narrow margin to Colombia, despite playing more than a half with an extra player on the field, Valverde said that: “Football is like life, you can have setbacks and you have to get up and keep going. We will have more opportunities and more Copa Américas in the coming years, so we have to be prepared for what is coming.”
