Flamengo secured first place over Grupo A from Copa Libertadores from América in advance. The confirmation came after the Conmebol disciplinary body announced the punishment of W.O. to Independiente Medellín due to the serious incidents that occurred on May 7th. The official announcement from the regulatory entity took place on Thursday afternoon. The Rio team scored the points from the match that ended up being interrupted at Estádio Atanasio Girardot. With this secretariat decision, the Brazilian club reaches thirteen points in the league table and can no longer be overtaken by any opponent in the group.
The confusion in Colombian territory led to the early end of the game at the beginning of the first half. Local Torcedores began violent protests against Independiente Medellín’s bad time in the season. Diante due to the complete lack of security for athletes, referees and press professionals, the duel had to be canceled by local sports authorities. The discipline committee strictly applied article 24.2 of the continental regulations to determine the official score of three to zero in favor of Flamengo. The termination of red-black participation in this phase will take place against Cusco in Maracanã.
Decisão from Conmebol changes Grupo A’s classification and ends leadership dispute
The application of the maximum administrative penalty definitively changed the direction of the bracket in the continental competition. Flamengo had a solid campaign on the field, but depended on the result at Colômbia to confirm their seed status for the round of 16. The three inherited points ensure absolute peace of mind for the technician to plan the next weeks of work on the Rio and Janeiro. The technical committee is considering using a mixed formation in the final match of the group stage to preserve the main athletes in the squad.
The sanctions imposed by Conmebol on Independiente Medellín were extensive and affected different sectors of the Colombian association:
- Perda of the game points with an official score of three to zero for Flamengo
- Obrigatoriedade to play the next five home games behind closed doors
- Proibição selling tickets to its fans in two away matches
- Heavy administrative Multa totaling eighty thousand dollars for security infractions
- Sanção additional financial twenty thousand dollars based on article 12.2 of the code
- Pagamento of compensation for material damage caused to vehicles and transmission equipment
- Reembolso of expenses for repairs to advertising signs and official materials of the entity
Severe Punições affects Independiente Medellín’s finances and planning for the season
The total financial impact for Independiente Medellín exceeds the one hundred thousand US dollar barrier in direct fines. The amounts will be deducted directly from the quotas of television rights and sponsors that the association would be entitled to receive throughout the tournament. Além from the immediate financial loss with the penalties, the club will no longer collect significant amounts from ticket sales in the next five international matches at its stadium. The absence of an audience should also affect the team’s technical performance within the four lines.
The structural damage highlighted in the Conmebol delegates’ report was detailed. Local Torcedores destroyed static advertising boards, official isolation mats and vests used by operational support staff. The mobile unit that generated the official images of the television broadcast suffered severe damage after external stoning in the parking area. The vehicle used by the head of technical services at the sports venue also required urgent repairs to the bodywork and windows.
Flamengo plans final duel at Maracanã with full focus on the round of 16
The tranquility at the table allows Flamengo to focus its attention on the recovery of injured players who are in the medical department. The clash against Cusco will serve to fulfill the schedule and test new tactical variations that the coach intends to implement in the second half of the year. The board celebrated the result of the trial behind the scenes as it understood that sporting justice was done in the face of the dangerous scenario experienced by the Colômbia delegation. Logistics planning for the knockout stages has already begun to be designed by the professional football department.
Independiente Medellín has the legal right to challenge the terms of the verdict issued by the first sporting instance. The regulation provides for a period of seven calendar days for the formal appeal protocol before Comissão of Apelações of Conmebol. Advogados from the Medellín club seeks to reduce the loss of field commands and the total amount of compensation charged. The chance of reversing the outcome of W.O. is considered null by experts in international sports law due to the seriousness of the reports contained in the referee’s summary.