Author: Vishwajit Sawant
In a shocking turn of events, Fluminense Football Club received an unexpected document from Conmebol’s Disciplinary Unit informing them of a disciplinary hearing involving their midfielder André, just days before the crucial Libertadores final clash with Boca Juniors, scheduled for November 4.
The sudden turnaround in the story arose from an incident during the first leg of the Conmebol Libertadores semi-final, when André, in an unfortunate moment, kicked a microphone located in Internacional’s technical area. As a result, he was summoned to a hearing of Conmebol’s Disciplinary Committee, scheduled for October 17, coincidentally the same day Fluminense were due to play Uruguay.
André’s alleged misconduct falls under Article 11, paragraph 2, item c) of the Conmebol Disciplinary Code, which deals with acceptable behavior in the world of organized soccer. The accusations revolve around violations of the minimum standards of conduct expected in sport.
However, the likelihood of André being excluded from the Libertadores final remains slim. The Conmebol Statutes, specifically Article 65, offer a series of possible sanctions, including warnings, reprimands, fines, suspensions and others. As André has no previous record of similar offenses, he is expected to receive a mere warning, given his status as a first-time offender.
In the event that the disciplinary hearing results in a sanction, a comprehensive list of punishments is available to the committee. This list includes economic fines, match suspensions, bans on various football-related activities, the withdrawal of titles and even the revocation of licenses, among others. However, the circumstances surrounding André’s case make it highly likely that the penalty imposed will be a lesser one, such as a fine, guaranteeing his presence in the next match against Boca Juniors.