DARWIN AWARD
Liverpool star Darwin Nunez forced to serve five-match ban after losing appeal over clash with fans
Nunez pleaded an emotional case
LIVERPOOL star Darwin Nunez will serve his five-match ban for clashing with fans after losing his appeal.
The striker jumped into the crowd following a brawl between Uruguay and Colombia in the Copa America semi-final last summer.
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Nunez, 25, served two matches of his international suspension, against Paraguay and Venezuela, before the Uruguayan FA appealed the ban through the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas).
However Cas has rejected the appeal following a review of the incident, finding Nunez's case of self-defence does not stand up to scrutiny.
A court statement read: "The panel found that in this case the principle of self-defence does not apply.
"The conduct of the players constituted a voluntary, violent and unjustified action which was in violation of the Conmebol disciplinary code."
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Nunez's guilty verdict also means he will have to pay a £15,145 ($20,000) fine.
It was claimed Nunez climbed into the crowd in an attempt to protect his loved ones.
But he also tried to throw a foldable chair before a security guard intervened to ensure he did not hit anybody.
The ugly scenes took place after Nunez's Uruguay lost 1-0 in semi-final clash.
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Four other Uruguay players received three-match suspensions - Mathias Olivera, Ronald Araujo, Jose Gimenez and Tottenham star Rodrigo Bentancur.
They have all served their bans but Nunez is set to miss Uruguay's next three World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay, Venezuela and Peru.
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