(Reuters) – FIFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against Uruguay’s Jose Maria Gimenez, Diego Godin, Fernando Muslera and Edinson Cavani after the players angrily confronted the referee following their World Cup defeat by Ghana on Friday.
Uruguay beat Ghana 2-0 in their final Group H game but were angered that referee Daniel Siebert did not award them penalty kicks in the contest. Another goal would have sent Uruguay into the last 16 in place of South Korea.
At the final whistle, the Uruguayan bench erupted against the referee who decided not to award penalties for tackles on Darwin Nunez in the opening half and Cavani in the dying minutes, with striker Luis Suarez saying FIFA was “against Uruguay”.
FIFA also opened proceedings against the Uruguayan Football Association (AUF) over potential breaches of fair play rules.
“Separate proceedings were opened against Uruguayan players Gimenez, Cavani, Muslera and Godin,” FIFA added in a statement.
The AUF has 10 days to reply to FIFA, as per AUF vice-president Gaston Tealdi’s comments to Uruguayan newspaper Ovacion.
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
