In a recent turn of events at the ongoing Copa America tournament, the South American football governing body, CONMEBOL, have taken disciplinary measures against Argentina’s coach Lionel Scaloni, and Chile’s coach Ricardo Gareca. They handed both coaches one-match suspensions due to their teams’ late arrivals to the field of play. They have thus violated the tournament’s regulations.
CONMEBOL‘s statement on Friday confirmed the suspensions, citing violations of articles 104 and 145 of the tournament’s regulations. These articles stipulate that teams must take the field on time for the scheduled start or restart of play. The governing body emphasized the importance of adhering to these rules to ensure the smooth and timely progression of the competition. As a result, both coaches will be absent from the substitutes’ bench during their respective teams’ final Group Stage matches.
The incident involving Argentina occurred during their Copa America opener against Canada last week. The defending champions were late in taking the field for the second half, which prompted criticism from Canada’s coach Jesse Marsch, who suggested that Argentina should face financial penalties for their tardiness. On the other hand, Ricardo Gareca‘s Chile were late in bringing on a player at halftime during their match against Argentina on Tuesday.
Financial penalties imposed as well
Article 145 of the competition regulations clearly specifies the consequences of failing to adhere to the scheduled times. It states: “If the players of a team appear on the field later than the scheduled time for the start or resumption of the game, or disobey the referee’s or match delegate’s instructions, the responsible association may be sanctioned by CONMEBOL’s disciplinary bodies with a warning for a first offense and a fine for second or subsequent offenses.”
Ricardo Gareca has also been handed a suspension