Was Liverpool's Darwin Nuñez assaulted by a Colombian priest?
Uruguay and Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez could face a major ban after he was seen brawling with Colombia fans following his country’s loss in the Copa America semi-final.
BBC Sport has reported Nunez was seen scaling seats at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina to confront yellow-shirted fans.
According to El País, Nunez got involved following a disorder breaking out close to where his family was seated.
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Jose Gimenez, the Uruguayan captain, told Reuters, “There was no police and we had to defend our families. This is the fault of two or three people who had a few too many drinks and don't know how to drink,” following the match.
BBC Sport has reported other Uruguayan players were involved in the melee, but for now, no names other than Nunez have been mentioned.
There's viral footage that shows Darwin Nunez facing off against a Colombian fan, who turns out to be a priest!
A fan shared a picture of the alleged priest on X (Twitter), revealing the identity of the Colombian fan who assaulted Darwin Nunez. He must have lived a religious experience on the pitch...
Nevertheless, other fans point out that father Luis Toro (shown in X post) was not the individual involved in the brawl and believe it might be someone else. The mystery continues...
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According to reports by SABC Sports, it took police ten minutes to calm down the violence, with Nunez and other Uruguayan players and staff remaining on the pitch following the violence.
CONMEBOL, the governing body in charge of the Copa America, released a statement reading, “CONMEBOL strongly condemns any act of violence that affects football. Our work is based on the conviction that football connects us and unites us, through its positive values.”
The tournament organisers’ statement continued, “There is no place for intolerance and violence on and off the field. We invite everyone in the remaining days to pour all their passion into cheering on their teams and having an unforgettable party.”
Nunez could be facing a ban for his involvement, per The Independent, but the length of such a ban is unknown given the circumstances. Eric Cantona was sentenced to two weeks in prison and banned for half a season for kicking a fan in 1996, which hardly establishes a clear precedent.
Uruguay struggled in their semi-final, losing to a 39th-minute goal by Jefferson Lerma, meaning they missed their chance to play against Argentina for the title on Monday.
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