“Colombian Federation Blames Copa Security”, Following chaotic scenes at the Hard Rock Stadium during the Copa America final, the Colombian Football Federation (FCF) attributed the incident leading to the arrest of their president and his son to private security at the venue.
Ramon Jeserun, president of the Colombian Football Federation (FCF), and his son Ramon Jamil were charged following a confrontation with guards in a tunnel at the Hard Rock Stadium. The FCF stated they were attempting to attend the awards ceremony after Argentina’s victory over Colombia in Miami but were blocked due to heightened security measures.
“Employees of the private security of the stadium prevented timely and direct access to the field to most members of the Colombian delegation, despite being duly identified with the official badge of the organization,” the FCF said in a statement.
The FCF added that tensions ran high when they were not let through. According to police, Jeserun’s son grabbed the guard by the neck and pulled him to the ground, where he punched him and kicked him in the head.
“As the governing body of Colombian football, we regret this event and offer our apologies to the organizers of the tournament, the host country and the people who were affected.
“For his part, president Jesurun deeply regrets these events, which should never have happened and which resulted in a paternal and instinctive move to protect his son and his family.”
Earlier, the final started over an hour late after police initiated a lockdown that left hundreds of fans stuck outside Florida’s Hard Rock Stadium.
Dozens of fans were arrested and over 50 people were kicked out from the venue after several fans without tickets tried to enter the stadium.
Argentina beat Colombia 1-0 in the match that was delayed due to the chaos.
