Uruguay manager Marcelo Bielsa has called for Colombia fans to apologize for the brawl following his team’s Copa America semi-final defeat on Wednesday.
The incident, which took place at the Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina, involved Uruguay players, led by Darwin Núñez, and Colombia fans. The altercation occurred in an area where many Uruguay players’ families were seated. Conmebol is currently investigating, and some Uruguay players could face bans.
Bielsa said, “How can you not defend your mother, your sister, a baby? If they did not do it, they would have been condemned by all of us.”
He continued, “The sanction does not have to be for the footballers, but for those who forced them to act like this. This is a witch hunt. It is a shame. We are in the United States, the country of security.”
As journalists pressed him about potential sanctions for his team, Bielsa retorted, “You should have asked me if we have received an apology, not if I fear sanctions! What sanction are they talking to me about? What we have to see is when are they going to apologize.”
He added, “Journalism responds to the interests of those who administer power, who are the ones who distribute money. There is a percentage of journalism that responds to this. Those who do not respond to the interests of power are the ones who suffer because they are loyal.”