Conmebol fines of over R$1m loom for São Paulo over Rafinha, flares, delay | OneFootball

The South American Football Confederation (Conmebol) has opened disciplinary proceedings against São Paulo due to incidents recorded in the 1-1 draw against Boca Juniors, played last Tuesday (15) at Morumbi. The match report cites insults directed by executive football director Rafinha at the refereeing team led by Uruguayan Gustavo Tejera, as well as operational violations and fan behavior. The club’s board estimates that the total financial penalties could exceed the R$ 1 million mark.

According to the official document, Rafinha directed offensive words at the head referee in the dressing-room area, in Portuguese and Spanish, falling under articles 11.2 (letters “c” and “d”) of the Disciplinary Code, which deal with insults and violations of acceptable conduct.

Halftime delay and risk of repeat offense

São Paulo was also charged for a five-minute delay in returning to the pitch after halftime. The quarterfinal regulations set a fine of $20,000 (R$ 100,000) per minute of delay for the club and $15,000 (R$ 77,000) per minute for head coach Dorival Júnior.

If the Disciplinary Unit confirms Dorival’s repeat offense regarding the coaching staff’s conduct (covered under article 27), the coach’s individual penalty may rise to $20,000 per minute, raising the total cost of the delayed restart to $200,000 (about R$ 1 million). The amount of the sanctions is deducted directly from the prize money paid by the organization to the club.

Repeat pyrotechnics offense and infrastructure issues

Another critical point in the complaint concerns the use of flares and pyrotechnic devices by supporters in the stands and around Morumbi. As a repeat offender under article 12.2 of the Disciplinary Code and article 23 of the Safety Regulations — after being fined $11,000 in the previous round against Bolívar —, Tricolor will go to judgment without a pre-established fixed amount and may face a harsher sanction.

The report also cited failures in the internet connection provided in the area designated for the press, an incident that should result in a formal warning.

Summary of the charges filed by Conmebol

São Paulo has until next Wednesday (23) to submit its formal defense to Conmebol’s Disciplinary Unit. The notice containing the verdict and the official amounts of the penalties will be published by the South American body the following week.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.