The incident occurred after Uruguayan players confronted German referee Daniel Siebert at Al Janoub Stadium following their loss against Ghana.
FIFA imposed four-match bans on Uruguay’s Fernando Muslera and Jose Maria Gimenez, and one-game suspensions on Diego Godin and Edinson Cavani for their respective confrontations with the referee during and after their World Cup match against Ghana.
The football governing body started action against the players who yelled at the referee after their elimination from the tournament despite defeating Ghana 2-0 in their final group game on December 2.
FIFA disciplinary judges ruled the federation “was responsible for the discriminatory behaviour of its supporters as well as for the misconduct, offensive behaviour and violation of the principles of fair play” by players.
Before South Korea defeated Portugal 2-1 in the Group H group stage, Uruguay had a chance to advance to the round of 16, but the South Koreans won by virtue of having scored one more goal than the South Americans in their three games.
The tackles on Darwin Nunez in the first half and Cavani in the closing seconds were not given penalties by the German referee Daniel Siebert because, as striker Luis Suarez claimed after the game, FIFA was “against Uruguay.”
The players believed Uruguay deserved a penalty kick in stoppage time. If Uruguay had scored one more goal, the team would have advanced instead of South Korea to the round of 16.
Instead, South Korea advanced and delivered one of the World Cup’s most iconic moments.
Now, the players will be required to perform community service related to football and may be subject to fines of up to $21,701. The Uruguayan FA was also fined an additional $54,207 for the actions of its fans and players.
Additionally, Uruguay was instructed to partially close its stadium when it hosts the following FIFA “A” international match.
The opponents for Uruguay’s games during the late March international break have not yet been revealed.
Gimenez was competing in his third World Cup, while Cavani, Godin, and goalkeeper Muslera were all making their fourth appearances.
