Uruguayan Football Association condemns brawl with fans from Copa América semifinal

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The Uruguayan Football Association released a statement Friday condemning the brawl that occurred during Wednesday's Copa América semifinal.

Several Uruguayan players went into the stands at the end of their 1-0 loss to Colombia, and it turned ugly when cameras caught Uruguay players throwing punches at Colombia fans. 

Security at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, attempted to hold players back, but things were already getting too ugly. 

Darwin Núñez appeared to throw several punches in videos of the brawl that have surfaced, while Uruguay defender José María Giménez threw a punch. 

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Fans of Uruguay and Colombia and Uruguayan players get into an altercation after a CONMEBOL Copa America 2024 semifinal match at Bank of America Stadium July 10, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C.  (Steve Limentani/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Colombia fans were fighting back, throwing punches themselves, while others were throwing objects toward the brawl as it unfolded. 

Uruguayan players defended their actions, citing the ability to keep their families safe. The AUF agreed with the sentiment, saying (via Google translation) that the players' reactions were "inevitable and natural" due to their "nervousness and desperation."

"This Association, in its 124 years of existence, proudly privileges the maximum respect for the norms of citizen conduct, banishing all acts of violence in sports. Unfortunately, the events reported, which violated the healthy concept of family in a framework of lack of protection, generated an unjustified but humanly understandable reaction," the statement said in