Argentina and Chile fined $15,000; CONMEBOL suspends coaches over field delays

NEW DELHI: The South American football governing body, CONMEBOL, has taken disciplinary action against the coaches of Argentina and Chile, Lionel Scaloni and Ricardo Gareca, respectively, for their teams' late arrivals to the field of play during the ongoing Copa America tournament.
In a statement released on Friday, CONMEBOL announced that both coaches have been suspended for one match each due to their teams' failure to comply with the tournament's regulations regarding timely presence on the field.
The incident involving Argentina occurred during their Copa America opener against Canada last week, where the defending champions emerged late for the second half.
This prompted criticism from Canada's coach Jesse Marsch who suggested that Argentina should be fined for their tardiness. On the other hand, Gareca was late in bringing on a player at halftime during Chile's match against Argentina on Tuesday.
CONMEBOL cited articles 104 and 145 of the tournament's regulations, which stipulate that teams must take the field on time for the scheduled start or restart of play. Failure to do so has resulted in the one-match suspension for both Scaloni and Gareca, preventing them from being present on the substitutes' bench during their respective teams' final group stage matches on Saturday.
In addition to the suspensions, the Argentine and Chilean football federations have each been fined $15,000 as a consequence of their teams' tardiness.
As things stand, Argentina currently top Group A with six points and have already secured their place in the quarter-finals. They will face Peru on Saturday without the presence of Scaloni on the sidelines.
Meanwhile, Chile, with only one point, will take on group runners-up Canada in their final group match, also without the guidance of Gareca from the bench.
While the suspensions and fines may seem harsh, they serve as a reminder to teams and coaching staff of the need to respect the established rules and schedules, ensuring the smooth and timely progression of the competition.