Liverpool attacker Darwin Nunez and his Uruguay teammates have appealed to their prohibitions because of their involvement in a fight with rejected fans.
The highest court of Sport rejected a appeal by five Uruguay players against the suspension that were spoken after their collisions with fans after the semi-final of Copa America in Colombia in North Carolina in July 2024, rejected from their claim that they acted in self-defense to protect their families.
Five players, including Nunez, Barcelona defender Ronald Arajo and Atletico Madrid -defender Jose Maria Gimenez, were banned for three and five games by the South -American administrative body Conmebol after the fight.
The players were clashed with fans in the stands in Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte after the loss of 1-0.
Tottenham -midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur and Napoli Defender Mathias Olivera were also involved and later prohibited.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport said on Tuesday that her judges appealed by the players and the Uruguayan Federation.
“The panel found that in this case the principle of self -defense does not apply and that the behavior of the players was a voluntary, violent and unjustified action,” the court said in a statement.
NUNEZ will now be suspended when Uruguay resumes the World Cup, qualifies to Paraguay on 5 June and organizes Venezuela five days later.
The appeal was aimed at canceling the suspensions and fines imposed on the players and the Uruguayan federation, or to see the sanctions reduced.
At the time, Uruguay Vooruit Luis Suarez said: “Of course if someone attacks your family, you want to defend them, but that does not justify the image it made.
“We had to protect our families that were there. What I could see that there was a lot of family, many children from my teammates who were trapped and things fell on them, and you felt helpless.”
Gimenez said to Fox Soccer: “They stormed all our families, part of Colombia fans. This is a disaster. Our family is in danger.”
After the game, Conmebol issued a statement in which he said that every act of violence that influences the game strongly condemns.
“Our work is based on the conviction that football connects us and unites us through its positive values,” said the statement.
“There is no room for intolerance and violence on and next to the field. We invite everyone in the remaining days to pour all their passion to cheer their national teams and to have an unforgettable party.”
Colombia won the game 1-0 thanks to the first half of Jefferson Lerma, despite playing the entire second half with 10 players after the red card by Daniel Munoz in the first half of the stoppage.