Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez have come out in defense of Uruguay’s players following the fan violence that took place on Wednesday night in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Uruguay fell to Colombia 1-0 in a controversial Copa America semi-final that has become the talk of the tournament.
Uruguayan players, including Liverpool’s Darwin Nuñez and Tottenham’s Rodrigo Betancurt were among several members of Uruguay’s Copa America delegation who entered the stands and clashed with Colombian fans. Several family members of the Uruguayan team were caught in the middle of a dangerous melee that saw Nuñez and other Uruguayan players clash with opposing fans.
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Both Scaloni and Martinez likened the situation to altercations that occurred between a section of Argentine supporters, which included family members of the players, and Brazilian police at a World Cup qualifier at the Maracana Stadium in Brazil last November.
“I’d like to also clarify what happened in the match between Uruguay and Colombia, in relation to tomorrow’s final,” Scaloni said. “Tomorrow should be a celebration about the joy of playing for a title. I believe it’ll be a celebration for all of us. The images (from Uruguay-Colombia) were very sad and I think anyone in that situation would have acted in that way.
“We lived through something similar at the (Estadio) Maracana when we saw our family members in the stands and we moved them into the dressing room. Those were ugly scenes. I don’t know if there’s someone to blame but to see your family in the middle of a fracas, anyone would’ve felt desperate. We have to consider that, because the players, we ask them to be the main attraction. We ask that they be present and that they be role models.
A number of Uruguayan players, including Darwin Núñez, appeared to clash with Colombian fans after the semi-final of Copa America.
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“But when that happens I don’t know many people who would have acted differently. I think any normal person would have acted the way those (players) did. I honestly feel like the both the Argentine and Colombian fans should celebrate tomorrow’s event. The family members from both teams will be there and we can’t be thinking about something like that taking place because somebody taunts another person. We have to learn from this once and for all.
“We’re responsible for communicating calmness. I have this microphone and I’m fortunate to be able to say this. I think it’s a normal thing to say. It’s normal because what we saw the other day looked like scenes from 50 years ago and that worries me about what could potentially happen tomorrow. So I’m communicating this message because I believe it’ll be well received.”
Martinez said he agreed with his coach’s assessment.
“I think (Scaloni) already said it well; this happened to us in Brazil, I had family members in the stands close to what took place, watching the young people and women being beaten with clubs (by the Brazilian police). It was terrible to witness that,” Martinez said. “When you see women or your parents being hit, obviously what Darwin and (Mathias) Olivera and all of the players that I know. It’s a very sad thing to see and I can say that I would’ve done the same thing. So obviously I’m supporting the Uruguayan players.
“Tomorrow is the final and the tension will be higher than usual. The fans may drink more alcohol than usual so I think there needs to be more security and then try and separate the Argentine and Colombian fans in order to avoid fights and be able to enjoy the final. It’s time to enjoy these two teams that are in the final instead of focusing on fighting.”
Nunez was consoled on the pitch after the incident (Omar Vega/Getty Images)
Tournament organizers CONMEBOL opened an investigation into the altercation between the Uruguayan players and the Colombian supporters.
A statement from CONMEBOL read: “The disciplinary committee of CONMEBOL has opened an investigation to understand the sequence of events and the responsibilities of those involved in the acts of violence that occurred at the end of the match between the national teams of Uruguay and Colombia.
“On the eve of the final of Copa América, we want to reaffirm and warn that no action will be tolerated that tarnishes this global football celebration, which involves both the players and the fans present in the stadium, and which will be watched by hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide.
“It is unacceptable that an incident like this turns passion into violence. Therefore, no behavior that harms the sporting competition and the most beautiful spectacle in the world, which belongs to the entire football family, will be tolerated.”
Scaloni also spoke about comments from Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa on Friday, in which he criticized the organization of the tournament, including the quality of the fields and training facilities. During his press conference, Bielsa inferred that Scaloni, who spoke about the quality of the field in Atlanta after the opening game, didn’t speak any more in order to avoid issues with the confederation.
Scaloni said he stopped talking about it simply so that it did not look like he was trying to make excuses for performances.
“I thought it was best to leave that subject alone because for our team it would look like we were looking for excuses and we had to move past that,” Scaloni said. “We played against Ecuador on a similar pitch, I’d say it was worse and we kept playing. We’re not looking to give people excuses. But I do agree (with Bielsa) regarding the playing surfaces.”
(Top photo: Nick Tre. Smith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)