Uruguay Players Fight Fans in Stands at Copa America Match After Losing to Colombia: 'A Disaster'

"We had to get into the stands to get our loved ones out," said Uruguay defender José María Giménez after the incident

A fight broke out in the stands of Bank of America Stadium on Wednesday between Uruguay players and Colombian fans after Colombia won the Copa America semifinal match.

Per TyC Sports on X (formerly Twitter) the athletes ventured into the stands to defend family members after Colombia fans became aggressive toward them.

"This is a disaster, our family was in danger. We had to get into the stands to get our loved ones out," said Uruguay defender José María Giménez, per a translation of the post into English. "There was not a single police officer, they fell within half an hour and we were there standing up for our own."

He said that some of the family members were holding newborn babies when the Colombian fans started getting aggressive.

A source close to the matter tells PEOPLE that the security team at the venue reported to the stands in less than a minute

The incident occurred on Wednesday, July 10 in Charlotte, N.C. after Colombia won the Copa America semifinal match in a 1-0 victory to advance to the final match on Saturday, July 13 with Argentina.

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Per ESPN, a separate incident broke out mid-field when Colombia forward Miguel Borja blatantly celebrated his team's victory in front of Uruguay players.

Simultaneously Uruguay forward Darwin Núñez spotted commotion in the stands and began brawling with Colombia fans, the site reported. The stadium's security team eventually stepped in to stop the fight.

Ignacio Alonso, the president of the Uruguayan Football Association, said that the players in the stands were defending their families, per ESPN.

"It was an instinctive, natural reaction to defend their kids, their partners, parents and siblings," he said, adding that he was closer to the fight at mid-field.

"...What is most worrying is what happened down on the pitch. It was resolved quite quickly in the end, but not without some inconvenience as you all saw," he said.

Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa said after the match that he didn't see the fight in the stands breakout because he left the field when he saw the altercation between players on the field begin.

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“There was some argument in the midfield, and when I saw that happening, I went to the locker room. I thought they were thanking the fans for their support,” Bielsa said, per USA Today.

CONMEBOL, the organization that governs soccer in South America, released a statement on X on the violence at the match just after midnight on Thursday, July 11.

“CONMEBOL strongly condemns any act 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 field,” the statement said. “We invite everyone in the remaining days to pour all their passion into cheering on their national teams and having an unforgettable party.”

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