Uruguay’s coach Marcelo Bielsa believes his players deserve an apology rather than punishment for their involvement in a fight with Colombian fans after their 1-0 loss in the Copa América semifinal at Bank of America Stadium.
Bielsa criticized tournament organizers for failing to protect the families of his players, who were seated behind the Uruguay bench. He defended his players’ actions, saying they had to protect their loved ones.
“We are in the United States, the country of security,” Bielsa said during an emotional news conference on Friday. “How can you not defend your mother, your sister, a baby? If they did not do it, they would have been condemned by all of us.”
CONMEBOL, South America’s soccer governing body, has opened an investigation into the incident, stating that “It is unacceptable that an incident like this turns passion into violence.”
When asked if he feared sanctions for his team, Bielsa became agitated, arguing that the players should not be blamed. “The sanction does not have to be for the footballers, but for those who forced them to act like this,” he said. “This is a witch hunt. It is a shame.”
Uruguay had the option of seating families in luxury boxes to avoid such situations. The team will play again at the same venue for the third-place game against Canada, with increased security measures in place.
The match had a crowd of over 70,000, mostly Colombian fans. After a tense and physical game, a fight broke out in the stands. Drinks were thrown, and shoving and punches ensued. Over a dozen Uruguay players, including Darwin Núñez, entered the stands to protect their families.
Bielsa criticized the lack of security measures and the absence of an emergency exit for Uruguay fans. Many in the Uruguayan delegation escaped the fight by climbing down to the playing field while police and security worked to restore order.
During the news conference, Bielsa had a heated exchange with a reporter and expressed concerns about potential repercussions. “I am very afraid of sports revenge,” Bielsa said. “They always threaten you in sports. Here the message was we cannot defend your family and we cannot allow them to flee. What sanction are they talking to me about? What we have to see is when are they going to apologize.”
Sebastián Cáceres, a Uruguay player, also expressed concern over the incident. “What happened after the game is something that anyone would have done,” Cáceres said. “I went up to check that my family was OK and I tried to take a teammate with me so that it wouldn’t continue.”
The incident has overshadowed Uruguay’s Copa América campaign, highlighting the need for better security measures to ensure the safety of players and their families in future matches.