Rodrigo Bentancur (27, Tottenham) is the new ‘bad boy’.
“Rodrigo Bentancur faces a one-match suspension for throwing a water bottle into the stands,” Football London reported on Wednesday (June 12).
Uruguay was eliminated from the CONMEBOL Copa America 2024 semifinals after losing 0-1 to Colombia at Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina, USA, on Nov. 11.
The post-match commotion erupted. There was a shocking physical clash between Uruguayan players and Colombian fans. Local reports suggest that some Colombian fans threatened the families of Uruguayan players.
Uruguayan defender José Jiménez echoed this claim: “People in the Colombian stands attacked all of our families, it’s a disaster. Our families were in danger.” “It’s embarrassing. There was not a single police officer to control it. We had to run and defend them just because they couldn’t control their alcohol.”
Darwin Núñez jumped into the crowd and got involved in the brawl.
He was punched in the head by a spectator, and then threw a punch to fight back. Núñez wasn’t the only one to jump into the stands, as José and Ronald Araujo also jumped into the stands.
Bentancur remained on the field, but he did something even more dangerous: he grabbed a nearby water bottle and threw it vigorously into the stands, shouting something in the process. The excitement was so intense that the people around him started to tear him apart.
There was no attempt to calm things down with water. 안전놀이터 Bentancur threw the water bottle like a fastball, and it flew low and fast toward the crowd. It was a risky move.
The result was bloodshed. According to Football London, Bentancur’s water bottle apparently hit the Uruguayan coach, not the Colombian crowd.
“Bentancur threw the bottle from the touchline. It appears to have hit an Uruguayan staff member who had climbed into the stands. Another angle showed the staff member in shock and bleeding from the forehead.”
Bentancur made his first start of the tournament, but was substituted after 34 minutes when he collided with a teammate and went down. The game itself was quite rough. And the team was losing despite being outnumbered, so Bentancur was unable to contain his anger. Bentancur reportedly threw not only a water bottle but also another object.
Bentancur has surprised fans with his on-field violence before.
He started a game between Tottenham and Man City in May, but was subbed off early in the second half.
Unable to cut his minutes, Bentancur kicked a chair violently and continued to stomp on the ground, knocking objects next to him to the ground. Brian Hill, who was sitting next to him, tried to calm him down, but to no avail.
Bentancur’s violent behavior on the national team made it difficult for him to avoid disciplinary action. CONMEBOL quickly issued an official statement condemning the violence. “Ahead of the final, we cannot tolerate any behavior that tarnishes this global football festival, which involves players and fans gathered in stadiums and is watched by hundreds of millions of people around the world,” CONMEBOL warned.
Football London, meanwhile, shook its head at Bentancur’s recent racist incident against Son Heung-min, saying he was at risk of suspension.