The father of Paris Saint Germain midfielder Manuel Ugarte has narrated exactly what went on after the full-time whistle of Uruguay’s Copa America semi-final against Colombia, with several players, including Rodrigo Bentancur, getting involved in an altercation with the fans.
![Rodrigo Bentancur](https://www.spurs-web.com/static/uploads/1/2024/04/rodrigo-bentancur545-scaled.jpg)
Uruguay vs Colombia turned ugly
Colombia beat Uruguay 1-0 to book a place in the final of the competition but the game will be remembered for what happened after the final whistle at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
A group of Colombia fans were accused of attacking a section of the ground holding the family members from the Uruguay squad (Sky Sports).
This incited a response from the Uruguay players, with Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez seen throwing a chair and climbing into the stands to fight fans face to face while Bentancur also threw a bottle into the stands.
It has since emerged that the players who were involved in the altercation, including Bentancur, could be sanctioned (Rodrigo Romano).
![Rodrigo Bentancur](https://www.spurs-web.com/static/uploads/1/2024/04/rodrigo-bentancur55-scaled.jpg)
Why did Rodrigo Bentancur throw bottles into the crowd?
Ugarte’s father, who was at the stadium, has now revealed that many of the family members, including the Tottenham man’s wife, were scared at what was unfolding at the venue.
He told El Pais: “The beginning of the problem that took on a greater magnitude was when the fist bumps started on the stairs; the game was over and we realized that things were getting ugly.
“Colombians came down and to the right of where I was with my wife the first bumps started. We ran away, and our other problem jumped to the side.
“I remember seeing Rodrigo Bentancur’s wife with the very scared girl, Federico Valverde’s wife too; they are three-year-old boys. Bottles were flying, I tripped over a chair, and we went down behind the bench of substitutes.
“At one point my wife got very nervous, they started hitting, the police came and started sweeping everything away. My wife saw how they hit an elderly person, and she became unwell.”
Spurs Web Opinion
Just like the Eric Dier incident a few years ago, one can understand why the Uruguayan players got involved. Most of us would have done the same had we sensed that our loved ones were under threat.
However, at the same time, one can understand why the authorities are considering sanctioning the players as it would set a dangerous precedent if they are not punished.
Keep up to date with all the latest Tottenham news and opinion by following SpursWeb’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.