nunez.jpg
Getty Images

While Colombia advanced to the Copa America final following a 1-0 victory over Uruguay in Charlotte, N.C. on Wednesday, chaos that happened following the match took the spotlight. Uruguay players including Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez could be seen climbing into the stands and fighting Colombian fans as tempers flared following the match.

Now, in the aftermath, what type of punishment could there be? Here's what to know:

What happened?

There was a moment where Nunez scaled the side of the stadium to get into the seats and once he made it to the Colombian fans, the fighting began once he was hit with a drink. As the police attempted to get Nunez out of the stands, it seems like he was also punched by a fan. Members of the Uruguay staff, Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo and Midtjylland midfielder Emiliano Martinez could also be seen in the stands.

Players already had to be separated on the pitch following the match as tempers flared. Speaking following the match, Uruguayan forward Luis Suarez touched on the matter, saying the players were in the stands defending family members from certain obnoxious fans. 

"Things had started to fall on them. No one wants to see those images, but, obviously, if you see that a family member is being attacked, you try and defend them. It does not justify what happened, but you have to realize they were trying to protect their families and their children," Suarez continued. "I could see from afar that there were a lot of families and many of my teammates' children trapped in that section. It's normal that you feel helpless and want to help when they're having things thrown at them."

Uruguayan defender Jose Gimenez also called out the lack of security. Gimenez said he went over to protect his family and accused fans of drinking too much and starting trouble. 

"This is a disaster, our families are in danger. Not one single policeman," Gimenez said after the game. 

Videos showed children being handed to staff and players to get them out of the section as police onsite were trying to stop the chaos in the stands. 

What could punishments be from CONMEBOL?

While CONMEBOL released a statement following the match, it didn't provide much clarity as to what will come next.

"CONMEBOL strongly condemns any acts of violence that affects football. Our work is based on the conviction that soccer connects and unites us through its positive values. There is no place for intolerance and violence on and off the pitch. We invite everyone in the remaining days to pour all their passion into cheering on their national teams and having an unforgettable party," the statement read. 

Suspensions could be coming Nunez's way as well as to any other players and staff identified as having thrown punches. The issue is understanding what type of punishment could come from both entering the stands and fighting.

Is there history of this happening?

Not at this level. While there have been altercations before, especially in South American club soccer, while it was club soccer and not international, Tottenham defender Eric Dier got a four-game ban from the English FA for climbing into the stands to confront a fan who was harassing his younger brother. No punches were thrown in that exchange so a Nunez ban could be longer but likely not as long as the nine months that Eric Cantona received for kicking a fan in the chest in 1995. 

Then-PSG star Neymar got a three-match ban for punching a fan, though in that instance he was in the stands before it happened.

Any ban imposed by CONMEBOL wouldn't carry over to Liverpool but if FIFA decided to step in and take matters into their own hands, that's where it could impact both club and international soccer. If FIFA let CONMEBOL handle, then Nunez would likely be all clear to play for Liverpool.

How will Liverpool handle it?

According to ESPN, Liverpool would like to meet with Nunez and the Uruguayan FA in order to get to the bottom of the situation. The Reds want to speak with him before determining their own plan of action. Due to his Copa America commitments, Nunez already wasn't expected to take part in the beginning of their preseason tour in the United States but there isn't much time to determine a plan of action before the season kicks off against Ipswich Town on Aug. 17. Because it didn't occur in a game for Liverpool, it seems unlikely that the Reds would punish him as well, but that remains to be seen.