The president of the Colombian Football Federation, Ramón Jesurún, was arrested early Monday morning following the team’s loss to Argentina in the Copa América final at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Jesurún, who is also a CONMEBOL vice president and a member of the FIFA council, was detained alongside his 43-year-old son, Ramón Jamil Jesurún, around 12:20 a.m. Monday. The 71-year-old Jesurún was accused of engaging in a physical altercation with multiple security guards inside the stadium after the match concluded.
According to WPLG, the Jesurúns “became irate” at a security guard inside a tunnel at the stadium, starting to “shout” when they were denied passage. The situation escalated as Jesurún allegedly pushed the guard, and his son reportedly grabbed the guard’s neck and punched him. The altercation intensified with the involvement of several more security officers.
Fox Sports Mexico shared video footage of the incident on social media.
The two men were booked into a local jail at approximately 4:15 a.m. Monday. The Miami Herald reported that both were charged with three counts of battery against a specified official or employee.
This incident was among several issues that marred Argentina’s 1-0 victory over Colombia on Sunday night in South Florida. The game saw at least 27 arrests and 55 ejections from the stadium after fans without tickets forced their way through barriers, scaled walls and fences, and even attempted to enter through a vent. These disruptions caused a nearly 90-minute delay to the game.
In a statement, Hard Rock Stadium noted, “there were numerous attempts by unruly fans without tickets to overpower security and law enforcement personnel at entry points to the stadium.” The event was organized and run by CONMEBOL, the South American soccer confederation.
Argentina clinched its second consecutive Copa América title on Sunday night with a goal by Lautaro Martinez in the 112th minute. This victory marked Argentina’s 16th Copa América title, adding to their recent World Cup triumph in 2022.
