The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has rejected an appeal from the Uruguay Football Association regarding the bans for Darwin Nunez and other players for an altercation with fans while playing for Uruguay last July in the Copa America semi-final against Colombia.
To refresh your memories, Darwin was seen squaring up to Colombian fans in the stands like the opening of Street Fighter II, after they had reportedly been harassing his family in the crowd in July 2024. After the game, Uruguayan players and coach Marcelo Bielsa both cited the lack of police as a reason. The subsequent month, Nunez received a ban from South American football’s governing body CONMEBOL for five international games and was fined £15,145 ($20,000).
Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, 27, received a four-game suspension.
Napoli defender Mathias Olivera, 27, Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo, 26, and Atletico Madrid defender Jose Maria Gimenez, 30, received three-game bans.
Nunez served two matches of the ban before CAS temporarily lifted the suspension in October 2024 while the case against him was investigated following an appeal by the Uruguay Football Association, seeking to reduce the suspensions and fines on the grounds the players acted in self-defense.
CAS’ verdict is as follows:
“The panel found that in this case the principle of self-defence does not apply.”
“The conduct of the players constituted a voluntary, violent and unjustified action which was in violation of the Conmebol disciplinary code.”
Nunez will now miss Uruguay’s World Cup qualifiers in Paraguay and at home to Venezuela next month, along with the match against Peru in September.