Nunez gets 5 games, other Uruguay players suspended for Copa brawl
Published
Liverpool and Uruguay forward Darwin Nunez has been suspended five games for his part in a wild brawl after Uruguay's semifinals loss to Colombia at last month's Copa America.
CONMEBOL meted out discipline for the incident Monday including bans for five players.
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rodrigo Betancur was banned for four matches, while Napoli's Mathias Olivera, Ronald Araujo of Barcelona and Atletico's Jose Gimenez were suspended for three matches.
All five players also received fines, while six other players were levied $5,000 fines.
Following the 1-0 loss to Colombia, several Uruguay players headed into the stands to confront Colombian fans with the altercation turning violent. Many Uruguay players claimed after the incident that the fans were harassing their family members and they criticized the tournament for a lack of proper security.
The ban means that Nunez will now miss World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay, Venezuela, Peru and Ecuador.
All five suspended players are free to continue playing for their club sides.
Liverpool visits Manchester United on Sunday in one of the most anticipated matchups of the early Premier League season.