Marcos Rojo handed five-match ban and £18,000 fine for PUNCHING guard

Ex-Man United defender Marcos Rojo is handed a five-match ban and £18,000 fine for PUNCHING a security guard during tunnel brawl between Boca Juniors and Atletico Mineiro players after fiery Copa Libertadores clash in July

• Boca Juniors players were left incensed following a Copa Libertadores match
• A goal from Marcelo Weigandt was ruled out by VAR and the match went to pens
• After losing pens, Boca’s players tried to get into the opposition dressing room
• Players were not calmed down and there were ugly clashes with the police 
• Marcos Rojo, formerly of Manchester United, was caught up in violent scenes

Former Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo has been handed a five-match ban and a £18,000 fine for his involvement in Boca Juniors’ tunnel brawl with rivals Atletico Mineiro following their controversial Copa Libertadores defeat.

Boca Juniors’ players were involved in a sensational bust-up following the defeat and Rojo was seen punching a member of security. 

The 31-year-old was also reportedly captured tearing a fire extinguisher from the wall and lifting it above his head before he was calmed down and urged to drop it by a coach, according to the Manchester Evening News.

Marcos Rojo (left, pictured in blue jersey) was seen on video punching a member of security staff as Boca Juniors were left furious following a last-16 defeat in the Copa Libertadores

After a lengthy investigation CONMEBOL have decided on punishment for every individual involved and have handed former Red Devils defender Rojo the five-match ban and hefty fine.

‘SUSPEND the Player MARCOS ROJO for 5 (five) matches,’ a CONMEBOL statement read. 

‘This sanction is must comply with the provisions of Articles 73 and following of the Disciplinary Code of CONMEBOL.

‘Likewise, the Player MARCOS ROJO is imposed a fine of USD 25,000 (TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND US DOLLARS). The amount of this fine will be automatically debited from the amount to be received by CLUB ATLÉTICO BOCA JUNIORS, in respect of Television or Sponsorship rights.’ 

The violence escalated and Boca Juniors players were seen clashing with police at the game

Boca were left incensed after a goal from Marcelo Weigandt was controversially ruled out by VAR in the second-leg of their round of 16 tie against Brazilian side Atletico Mineiro. 

The match went to penalties where Boca were defeated 3-1 and the evening soon descended into chaos as the Argentine side tried to break into the Mineiro dressing room before later clashing with police, who were forced to use tear gas in response.

Reports in Argentinian media outlet La Nacion suggested that events took a turn for the worse when Sergio Coelho, President of Atletico Mineiro, provoked the Boca players from the doorway of their dressing room.

This lead to an initial reaction from Boca’s Raúl Cascini and players were seen on video shoving each other and throwing items. 

Police attempted to intervene in a bid to diffuse the escalating violence and they used tear gas canisters in their effort to do so. 

The Brazilian police attempted to arrest two of Boca’s players, Sebastián Villa and Carlos Zambrano, but no one was detained.  

Police reportedly used tear gas canisters on the players to diffuse the violence escalating

A video from inside Atletico Mineiro’s dressing room showed Boca’s players trying to get in

Zambrano later took to his Twitter account where he labelled the disallowed goal and events that followed: ‘A disgrace, an abuse, a disaster.’

Boca legend Juan Roman Riquelme, the club’s vice-president, came to the defence of his side following the ugly clashes with police.

‘When they were in the dressing room, you see a person in a suit who pushed the boys and insults them. The policemen threw gas in the players’ faces.

‘They gas, what do you do? Do you defend yourself or do you let them hit you? You see the president throwing bottles, the police… they don’t say anything to them. That’s the truth.’ 

Much of Boca’s anger stemmed from a controversial VAR call made during the second half

Uruguayan referee Esteban Ostojich ruled out a goal by Marcelo Weignadt for an offside call

Santiago Mayor, a Belo Horizonte police officer, told TyC Sports: ‘We have information that the match delegate said there was an aggression and at least three Boca players were identified as the aggressors. 

‘There are videos that show that there was contempt’. 

In the subsequent press conference Boca Juniors boss Miguel Russo insisted his squad would not return to Argentina until all were able to do so.

‘Either we all leave or none of us leave,’ he said, following reports two players were of interest to police. 

Shortly after midnight, a tweet by Mineiro’s official Twitter account toned down the scandal. 

‘After a long negotiation, mediated by president Sérgio Coelho, and the Argentinian delegation went to the police station to report an incident for property damage and aggression. No one will be arrested.’ 

The match went to penalties and Boca Juniors were beaten, leaving the squad devastated 

There were wild celebrations for the Atletico Mineiro’s players but the evening soon soured

Share this article

Source: Read Full Article