The head of the Colombian Football Federation was taken into custody early Monday morning following the team’s defeat to Argentina in the Copa América final at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Ramón Jesurún, who also holds positions as a CONMEBOL vice president and a member of the FIFA council, was apprehended with his son after midnight on Monday. Jesurún, aged 71, was arrested for allegedly getting into a physical altercation with multiple security guards alongside his 43-year-old son, Ramón Jamil Jesurún, inside the stadium post-match.
Local10.com reports that Jesurún and his son got into a heated argument with a security guard in a tunnel at the stadium, leading to physical altercations. Jesurún reportedly shoved the guard, while his son allegedly grabbed the guard’s neck and punched him. The situation escalated as more security officers intervened.
Footage of the incident was shared on Fox Sports Mexico’s Instagram account.
Both individuals were taken into custody at a local jail around 4:15 a.m. Monday and were charged with three counts of battery against a specified official or employee, as per The Miami Herald.
The altercation was just one of the many incidents that occurred during Argentina’s 1-0 victory over Colombia in South Florida. The match saw 27 arrests and 55 ejections due to ticketless fans attempting to breach security measures to gain entry into the stadium. The game was delayed by almost 90 minutes.
Hard Rock Stadium released a statement stating that there were multiple instances of unruly behavior by fans without tickets trying to overpower security and law enforcement personnel at the stadium entrances. The event was overseen by CONMEBOL, the governing body for South American soccer.
Argentina clinched their second consecutive Copa América title with a 1-0 victory over Colombia, courtesy of a goal from Lautaro Martinez in the 112th minute. This victory marks Argentina’s 16th Copa América title, following their World Cup triumph in 2022.