‘If someone attacks your family…’: Luis Suarez defends Uruguay players entering the stands during Copa America clash

Uruguay striker Luis Suárez has defended his team-mates’ decision to enter the stands after the 1-0 defeat to Colombia in the Copa America semi-final, saying the action was necessary to protect families and supporters.

After a physical and emotional match that saw seven yellow cards and one red card handed out, the players exchanged words and shoves in midfield at Bank of America Stadium on Wednesday night.

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Uruguay players, including Darwin Núñez, noticed a scuffle behind the team’s bench. About a dozen players then climbed into the stands as the scuffle continued.

Several players were seen throwing punches before Charlotte Mecklenburg police and stadium security restored order after about 10 minutes.

“Of course, when you have your wife, your little child, your father, older people, you want to go and see if they’re okay,” Suárez said. “These kinds of things, it’s an image that nobody wants to create, but when someone attacks your family, you want to go and defend them. But that doesn’t justify the image that it created. We had to protect our families that were there.”

CONMEBOL, the South American football confederation, said on Thursday that its disciplinary committee has opened an investigation.

“It is unacceptable that an incident like this turns passion into violence,” the statement said.

Suarez said he saw family members and children in the crowd and was concerned for their safety. More than 70,000 fans attended the match and at least 90% were cheering for Colombia and wearing their bright yellow colours.

“(They) were stuck and everything was falling on them and you felt helpless,” Suárez said.

Uruguay’s José María Giménez called the situation a “disaster”.

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“Our family is in danger,” Giménez told Fox. “We had to get into the stands as quickly as possible to save our loved ones with babies. … It’s a disaster because all the games are the same. Our families are in danger because some of them who drink one or two shots of alcohol don’t know how to drink and act like children.”

Stadium seating for players’ families and friends was arranged by the Uruguayan Football Association. More protected luxury suites were an option. The Uruguayan Football Association has made no public statement about the fight.

“There was some fighting in midfield and when I saw that happening I went to the dressing room. I thought they were thanking the fans for their support,” Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa said after the match. “But then I heard that unfortunately there were some problems there.”

CONMEBOL has not announced whether Uruguayan players will be suspended for entering the stands or hitting Colombian fans.

The umbrella organization released a statement after the match saying it condemned any form of violence and that “we invite everyone to put all their passion into cheering on their national team for the remaining days and celebrate an unforgettable party.”

Charlotte Mecklenburg police have not announced whether any arrests have been made. Stadium management has also not commented on the matter.

There was a larger security and police presence at the Copa America event than at a typical home game for the NFL’s Carolina Panthers or concerts. The tournament’s third-place match between Uruguay and Canada is scheduled to take place at the stadium on Saturday,

Suárez said he did not appreciate being yelled at by Colombian player Miguel Borja after the emotional defeat.

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“Teasing, words, whatever is fine, but what really bothers me is the way Borja celebrated like a fool,” Suárez said. “There is no reason to do that. If we knock someone out, we didn’t do it. We didn’t celebrate in front of the Brazilian players, on the contrary, we went to them and gave them our respect. We all know what it’s like on the pitch, how we suffer and go through a loss and it happens to all our colleagues in this profession. It’s something ugly, but God is watching and it will come back to them.”

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