Nunez ordered to serve ban after Cas rejects appeal

Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez must complete his ban for an incident with fans. This decision comes after the Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected his appeal.

In August 2024, South American football's governing body, Conmebol, banned Nunez for five international games. He was also fined £15,145 ($20,000) for confronting Colombia supporters after Uruguay lost to them.

The altercation occurred in July 2024 during the Copa America semi-final. Nunez was seen physically engaging with Colombia fans after the match ended.

He served two matches of his ban before Cas temporarily lifted it in October 2024. This happened while they investigated the case following an appeal from the Uruguay Football Association.

Four other Uruguayan players received bans and fines for their roles in the incident at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, USA. Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur got a four-game suspension. Napoli defender Mathias Olivera and Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo each received three-game bans. Atletico Madrid defender Jose Maria Gimenez also faced a three-game suspension.

The Uruguay FA appealed to reduce or annul these suspensions and fines. They argued that players acted in self-defense, but this was dismissed by Cas. The panel stated that self-defense did not apply here.

They found that the players' actions were voluntary and violent, violating Conmebol's disciplinary code. As a result, Nunez will miss Uruguay's World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay and Venezuela next month, as well as a match against Peru in September.

Conmebol had opened an investigation into "unacceptable" scenes after Uruguay's 1-0 defeat by Colombia. Disorder erupted where many family members of Uruguayan players were seated.

Nunez climbed railings to reach the crowded stands during this chaos. Over 70,000 fans attended the game, with estimates suggesting over 90% supported Colombia.

Uruguay captain Gimenez commented on the lack of police presence at the event. He said they had to defend their families from aggressive fans.

Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa stated that his players deserved an apology from Colombian fans for what happened. He emphasized that defending family is instinctual and necessary in such situations.