Uruguay’s Darwin Nunez and other players fight fans after heated Copa America semi-final loss in Charlotte

After a heated 1-0 defeat to Colombia in the Copa America semi-finals in Charlotte, Uruguayan players including Darwin Nunez entered the stands and battled Colombian supporters. The altercation involving the Uruguayan team came after drinks were thrown at the players as they approached the stands where fans of both teams were already getting physical.

Nunez could be seen fighting with fans after a drink was thrown their way, while others such as injured Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo and Midtjylland midfielder Emiliano Martinez were also involved.

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When asked about the incident after the match, Uruguay manager Marcelo Bielsa said:

“I didn’t see that. I thought the incident ended with some fight in midfield and when I saw that happening I went to the dressing room,” Bielsa said. “I thought they were thanking the fans for their support, but then I heard that unfortunately there were some problems there.”

CONMEBOL has that too released the following statement:

“CONMEBOL strongly condemns all acts of violence that affect football. Our work is based on the belief that football connects and unites us through its positive values. There is no place for intolerance and violence on and off the pitch. We invite everyone to remaining days to put all their passion into cheering on their national teams and celebrating an unforgettable celebration.”

Suspensions are definitely on the way after such an ugly moment in the post-game. Both the Uruguayan and Colombian players had to be separated in midfield after the final whistle for this to take place. After the match, Uruguayan defender Jose Giminez blamed the incident on a lack of security. He said he went there to protect his family, accusing fans of drinking too much and causing trouble.

“This is a disaster, our families are in danger. Not a single police officer,” Gimenez said.

At football matches around the world, it is common for stewards to surround sections of fans to keep players safe, but that was not seen in Charlotte as the fight broke out. Gimenez called for changes that are also important because the United States will also host the 2026 World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico, and FIFA does not want an incident to occur even close to that. There will be more time to prepare for that tournament rather than the Copa America, which was initially scheduled to be held in Ecuador, but there are lessons to be learned from this event.

While the scale wasn’t as large, there are similarities to the 2004 Malice at the Palace, which took place at the end of the Indiana Pacers versus the Detroit Pistons in NBA action. Pistons center Ben Wallace and Ron Artest of the Pacers got into a scuffle on the court, but when a drink was thrown at Artest, he charged into the crowd, grabbed a fan and started a brawl. Nine players have been suspended because of that brawl, raising the question of what disciplinary action will be taken here. Artest received the most severe suspension for the remainder of the season, which was 73 regular season games and 13 playoff games. Where this gets tricky is that CONMEBOL can hand out bans to Nunez and Uruguay’s players, but this might not affect him at Liverpool, although penalties remain to be seen.

It was already a tough match in front of a sell-out crowd when Colombian right-back Daniel Munoz was sent off with a red card in the first half, but Los Cafeteros held on for the win as Uruguay missed their attacking opportunities. Nunez was among those who made four shots and none were on target. With the match already featuring 23 fouls and eight yellow cards, tensions were high all night but boiling over.

As for the match, James Rodriguez’s sixth assist in the Copa America to Jefferson Lerma’s goal proved crucial as Colombia are now undefeated for a team-record 28th consecutive match.

Colombia now advances to face Argentina in the Copa America final on July 14 in Miami Gardens, while Uruguay will meet Canada in the third-place match on July 13, also in Charlotte.