Liverpool’s strike Darwin Nunez banned for five games over Copa America incidents

The South American association CONMEBOL has fined and suspended Darwin Nunez, the Uruguayan striker for Liverpool, from five games due to his involvement in a major brawl during the Copa America semifinal.

Eleven players have been sanctioned altogether, including four suspensions, as a consequence of the investigation into the violence that occurred during the Uruguay vs. Colombia match in Charlotte.

Nunez was one of the athletes that entered the Bank of America Stadium bleachers and started punching fans as the game came to a wild conclusion.

The forward received the harshest punishment of all; the others received fines and four matches or fewer.

Midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, who plays in England for Tottenham, was suspended for four matches, defender Mathias Olivera, Ronald Araujo and Jose Maria Gimenez all barred for three matches.

Nunez was fined $20,000 with the other players receiving fines ranging from $16,000 to $5,0000.

Six other players received only fines.

In addition, the Uruguayan Football Federation were fined $20,000 with the amount to be deducted from revenue and prize money.

Uruguay central defender Gimenez said players had leapt into the melee out of concern for the safety of family members and loved ones watching the game in that section of the ground.

The punishments are open to appeal but CONMEBOL statement did not state when the suspensions, which cover games organised by CONMEBOL and not domestic competitions, would begin.

Uruguay are scheduled to play a friendly against Guatemala in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Sunday and then head into World Cup qualifiers at home to Paraguay on September 6 and away to Venezuela on September 10.

Colombia won the game 1-0 but lost the final to Argentina.