Colombia, Argentina concerned about safety for Copa final

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Argentina and Colombia expressed safety worries ahead of Sunday night’s Copa America final, days after Uruguay’s Darwin Núñez and a handful of his teammates went into the stands amid a brawl following a semifinal loss to Colombia.

“I’m concerned about what could happen tomorrow,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said through an interpreter, speaking in a news conference Saturday before his team goes for a record 16th Copa America title against Colombia.

The incident happened Wednesday just after referee César Ramos blew the final whistle following Colombia’s 1-0 defeat of Uruguay. Núñez and teammates climbed a staircase into a raucous crowd, and video showed Núñez hitting a fan in Colombian team colors.

Uruguay captain José Giménez said players went in the crowd to protect their families. Coach Marcelo Bielsa later criticized tournament organizers for not doing enough to safeguard families of players seated in the stands behind the Uruguay bench. It took more than 10 minutes for police to arrive and to restore order.

“What happened is very sad because the families are not to blame,” Colombia midfielder Juan Quintero said. “We don’t want these things to happen during the match. We know that there are high emotions at stake. No one wants violence. Football cannot be tainted by incidents of this kind.

“I am concerned about what’s happened, and we hope that it will not happen tomorrow.”

Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez expressed similar concern, calling for the tournament to “reinforce security” for the final.

CONMEBOL, South American soccer’s governing body, condemned the violence in a news release the day after Wednesday’s match at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. The organization called the incident unacceptable and said “any action that tarnishes a global football celebration will not be tolerated,” but it did not mention potential security concerns or changes.

The organization did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press asking whether there will be an increase in security measures.

Both Argentina and Colombia are known for their passionate fanbases and will meet for the 44th time. More than 65,000 people are expected to attend the game, and asking prices for resale tickets have ranged from a couple thousand dollars to upward of $10,000.

“I think that it’s supposed to be a celebration,” Scaloni said, noting that his family will be in attendance and urging fans and others to respect their rivals. “We cannot be worried about what could happen because of someone teasing someone.”

Scaloni said that while he and coaches often ask players to be role models, it becomes difficult when their families, especially children, are in danger.

“Watching your family amidst the riots or something close to that,” Scaloni said, “is something that will make you lose your mind.”