Uruguay will be without striker Darwin and four other national team players for the next few games. The South American association CONMEBOL suspended the quintet after riots following the Copa America semi-final
The brawl in the stands at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium after the Copa America semi-final between Uruguay and Colombia has far-reaching consequences for the Celeste players, most notably Liverpool striker Darwin. The 25-year-old would be banned for five international matches by CONMEBOL.
Darwin thus receives the highest of the numerous penalties handed down. Rodrigo Bentancur (Tottenham Hotspur) also received a four-match ban, while Mathias Olivera (SSC Napoli), Ronald Araujo (FC Barcelona) and José Maria Gimenez (Atletico Madrid) each received a three-match ban.
In addition, the South American Football Association imposed fines on the five suspended players – Darwin must pay the equivalent of almost 18,000 euros – as well as six other players involved in the riots.
Fight in the stands – probably to protect the family
What happened? Following Uruguay’s 1-0 defeat against Colombia, a brawl broke out on the pitch and emotions also boiled over in the stands. Riots broke out around the Uruguayan family block and there was no separation between the different fan camps. TV footage showed Darwin and some of his team-mates climbing into the stands and getting involved in a brawl with Colombian fans.
“This is a disaster. Our family was in danger and there were no police around,” complained captain Gimenez afterwards. “We had to go into the stands to get our loved ones out with tiny newborn babies.” It took several minutes for the police to stop the clashes. CONMEBOL had condemned the scenes as “unacceptable” and “any acts of violence involving soccer in the strongest terms”.
Uruguay will now have to do without Darwin and Co. in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. In mid-September, they face Paraguay (September 7) and Venezuela (September 11). After six games, the two-time world champions are in second place behind Argentina with four wins, one draw and one defeat. The top six of the ten teams qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup
