MIAMI: CONMEBOL has opened an investigation after Uruguay players clashed with Colombian fans at the end of their Copa America semi-final match on Wednesday, the South American football governing body said.

After Colombia sealed a 1-0 victory in Charlotte, North Carolina, videos on social media showed what appeared to be Uruguay players climbing into the stands and exchanging blows with opposition fans.

Uruguay’s Darwin Nun­ez and Ronald Araujo were among the players at the forefront of the melee. Cap­tain Jose Maria Gime­nez said the players were trying to defend their families.

Players and staff from both Colombia and Urug­uay were also involved in a confrontation on the field after the final whistle.

“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,” CONMEBOL said in a statement on Thursday.

CONMEBOL said they would not accept any repeat of the incidents, which saw fighting between the two sets of supporters, for Sun­day’s final between Argen­tina and Colombia at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

“On the eve of our Copa America final, we want to reaffirm and warn that no action that tarnishes a global football celebration will be tolerated, involving both the protagonists and the fans present in the stadium for a final viewed by hundreds of millions of spectators worldwide.

“It is unacceptable that an incident like this turns passion into violence. Ther­efore, no behaviour that violates the spirit of the sport and the world’s most beautiful spectacle, which belongs to the whole family, will be tolerated. As well as the incidents in the stands, there were also clashes on the field at the final whistle involving players from both teams.

Published in Dawn, July 13th, 2024