The president of the Colombian Football Federation was arrested this Monday morning, shortly after the team’s defeat to Argentina in the Copa América final, at the Hard Rock Stadium.
Ramón Jesurún, who also serves as vice president of CONMEBOL and sits on the FIFA board, was arrested with his son at around 12:20 pm on Monday in Miami Gardens, Florida. Jesurún, 71, was accused of fighting several security guards alongside his 43-year-old son, Ramón Jamil Jesurún, inside the stadium after the game ended.
According to WPLG, both Jesurún and his son “became irate” with a security guard inside a stadium tunnel and began “screaming” at him when they were not allowed to pass. The incident then became physical and Jesurún pushed the guard, according to the report. Young Jesurún then grabbed the guard’s neck and punched him. The incident escalated from there as several other security officers became involved.
Video of the fight was shown on Fox Sports Mexico social media.
The two men were booked into a local jail around 4:15 a.m. Monday. According to the Miami Heraldboth were charged with three counts of assault against a specific officer or employee.
The incident was one of numerous problems that occurred during Argentina’s 1-0 victory over Colombia on Sunday night in south Florida. At least 27 people were arrested and 55 people were expelled from the stadium after fans without tickets broke through barriers, climbed walls and fences and even tried to enter the stadium through an air vent. The game was delayed by almost 90 minutes.
Hard Rock Stadium said in a statement that “there have been numerous attempts by unruly fans without tickets to overpower security and law enforcement personnel at stadium entry points.” The event was organized and directed by CONMEBOL, the South American football confederation.
Argentina won their second consecutive Copa América title on Sunday night thanks to a goal from Lautaro Martinez in the 112th minute of the match. It was the 16th Copa América title for the country, which has just won the World Cup title in 2022.
