Rio de Janeiro, April 30 (IANS) Gremio coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo has been suspended for six matches for his part in a wild brawl after a Copa Libertadores football fixture earlier this month.
The former Real Madrid and Brazil coach was also fined $25,000, South American football’s governing body Conmebol said in a statement Monday, reports Xinhua.
The April 18 melee occurred after the final whistle of Gremio’s 1-1 away draw with Huachipato in the Chilean city of Talcahuano, a result that guaranteed the Brazilian club’s passage to the knockout phase of South America’s premier club competition.
The penalty means Luxemburgo will only be eligible to return to Gremio’s bench if his team makes the final in July.
“It’s difficult to understand,” Luxemburgo said Monday night. “The only thing I did was run to the dressing room and laugh because they were all chasing after me.”
Gremio assistant coach Emerson da Rosa and defender Douglas Grolli were also fined and banned for eight and five matches respectively.
The Porto Alegre club said it would appeal the sentences.
Conmebol also issued fines of $1000 and one-match suspensions to Huachipato coach Jorge Pellicer and physical trainer Marcelo Rosemblat.
Huachipato defender Juan Espinoza was suspended for five games and fined $10,000 while Francisco Arrue and Nicolas Nunez were given two-match penalties and fined $5,000.
