By Reinaldo Oliveros
Aug 26, 2024, 3:47 PM EDT
Conmebol held a hearing on Monday regarding 11 players under investigation from the Uruguay national team after a fight with fans during a Copa América semi-final match.
According to reports, the hearing is private and is being held at the headquarters located in Luque (Paraguay).
According to the disciplinary regulations of Conmebol, the Disciplinary Unit, upon learning In the event of an alleged infringement of sporting rules, a preliminary investigation may be initiated before a file is opened.
Once the formal process has been decided, those involved are notified to present their statements and work is done to determine the facts.
As part of the process, the regulation establishes that “the presidents of the judicial bodies or the Sole Judge may order, ex officio or at the request of a party, the holding of a hearing where those under investigation and/or interested parties will be heard.”
Likewise, tests “that have been agreed upon” may be carried out during the investigation, including “the questioning of witnesses or experts.”
“This is a disaster. Our family is in danger.”
Uruguay’s José María Giménez speaks on the altercation with fans that occurred in the stands following the Copa América Semifinal vs Colombia ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Y0ytj44ioK
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 11, 2024
What happened to Uruguay in the Copa América?
In mid-July, the Uruguayan Football Association (AUF) He confirmed that he was working on defending the players.
Gastón Tealdi, a lawyer for the AUF, told EFE that they would process the case “in accordance with what the Disciplinary Unit establishes.”
“They determine whether or not a hearing is necessary. We can assume that the ruling will take a few weeks,” The lawyer added at that time, and anticipated that they are seeking “no sanction” or, “at least, that it be as minimal as possible.”
In the moments after the match against the coffee growers, played in the American city of Charlotte, several players of the Celeste -among them Darwin Núñez, Ronald Araújo and José María Giménez- jumped into the stands to fight with Colombian fans.
A day later, Conmebol announced that it had decided to open a file “to clarify the sequence of events and the responsibilities of those involved.”