FIFA has sanctioned four Uruguayan players, including Edinson Cavani, for their actions after the country was eliminated in the group stage of the 2022 World Cup.
The Uruguayans were furious at the end of their match against Ghana in Qatar in December as they were knocked out of the tournament.
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Uruguayan protests after the match were inflamed
After the match, many Uruguayan players gathered around referee Daniel Siebert and were aggressive in their actions, which have now been sanctioned by FIFA.
Four players have received fines and bans from international football which will now have to be served in future matches, with FIFA making it clear that such actions are not welcome on the pitch.
Defender Jose Maria Gimenez and goalkeeper Fernando Muslera are each suspended for four international matches and must pay a fine of around €20,000.
Meanwhile, defender Diego Godin and former Manchester United, Napoli and Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani will miss a game and face a €15,000 fine.
Additionally, all four are now required to participate in some form of football community service as part of their penalties.
Siebert faced harsh criticism and assault after refusing to award Uruguay a penalty in their game against Ghana as they crashed out despite winning 2-0 on goal difference South Korea’s top passing them through.
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There was a lot of discouragement after the World Cup game
The Uruguayan Football Federation has also been fined €50,000 and must play with a partially closed stadium in their next home game due to “discriminatory behavior by their fans” and “misconduct” by players.
The match against Ghana had been shrouded in controversy with much of the attention surrounding Luis Suarez as he faced them for the first time since his infamous handball incident at the 2010 World Cup.
Suarez was in fine form in that game but ended the night in tears after Uruguay’s exit from the tournament.
