:quality(80)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/semana/BAZ7GTHMIRFDBBVG7S36GYE5TM.jpg "FIFA was unforgiving and applied a harsh sanction to the Colombian national team: Barranquilla suffered")
The Colombian national team has received a strict sanction from FIFA's regulatory body. The behavior of the local and visiting fans led to the punishment of the national team. It may even affect their ability for the next home match against Argentina in September this year.
The governing body issued a disciplinary summary and included three direct sanctions against the Colombian Football Federation (FCF), two of an economic nature and another against the entry of fans to the Metropolitan Stadium, starting with a warning order for delaying the start. The first match of the qualifier against Venezuela was played in Barranquilla.
Colombia should consider “A fine of 30,000 Swiss francs (to be invested in an anti-discrimination project)” For the racist behavior of Colombian fans attending a match in Chilean territory. Following these events, The national team must “conclude one (1) match with a limited number of spectators, i.e. covering at least 25% of the seats.”
More worryingly, the match will be against the Argentina national team, with at least 25% reduced capacity, for which FCF had budgeted to run out of all papers. As in November, Brazil qualified for the fifth round of the South American qualifiers.
The sanction would be a million-dollar loss to the tricolor treasury and an additional hurdle for fans looking to buy tickets to the match against the reigning world champions.
In that respect, the national team still has to pay 500 Swiss francs, 35,500 in total, which is roughly 161 million Colombian pesos.
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Other barriers
The governing body fined Brazil 50,000 Swiss francs ($59,000) for “failing to maintain law and order” at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro. Argentina, meanwhile, were fined 20,000 Swiss francs ($23,000) for “lack of order and discipline both inside and outside the arena”.
The Albiceleste will add another 50,000 Swiss francs ($59,000) to its bill for an anti-discrimination education program due to the bad behavior of its fans in two World Cup qualifiers.
Finally, the Argentinians received the most severe punishment regarding the entry of fans for their next home date. Messi's team could only keep company at 50% capacity for the scheduled match against Chile before traveling to Barranquilla to face Nestor Lorenzo's Colombian national team.
