Argentina and Chile fined $15,000; CONMEBOL suspends coach for pitch delays | Football News

NEW DELHI: South American football confederation CONMEBOL has taken disciplinary action against Argentina and Chile coaches Lionel Scaloni and Ricardo Gareca over their teams’ late arrival on the pitch during the ongoing Copa America tournament.

In a statement released on Friday, CONMEBOL announced that both coaches had been suspended for one match each because their teams had failed to comply with tournament regulations regarding timely attendance on the field.

The incident involving Argentina occurred last week in the opening match of the Copa America against Canada, in which the defending champions were eliminated late in the second half.

This provoked criticism from Canada coach Jesse Marsch, who suggested Argentina should be penalized for its delay. On the other hand, Gareca brought on a player late at halftime in Chile’s match against Argentina on Tuesday.

CONMEBOL cited Articles 104 and 145 of the tournament rules, which require teams to be on the field of play on time for the scheduled start and resumption of play, respectively. Failure to comply with this rule resulted in a suspension for Scaloni and Gareca, who cannot sit on the bench for their respective teams’ final group matches on Saturday.

In addition to the suspensions, the Argentine and Chilean football federations were each fined $15,000 for their teams’ delays.

Argentina currently leads Group A with six points and has already secured a place in the quarter-finals. The team will face Peru on Saturday without Scaloni on the bench.

Chile, on the other hand, who have only one point, will face second-placed Canada in their final group match, also without Gareca on the bench.

Although the suspensions and fines may seem harsh, they serve as a reminder to teams and coaches that they must adhere to established rules and schedules to ensure the competition runs smoothly and on time.