Uruguayan National Team Expels Two Fans for Mocking Chapecoense Tragedy

The Uruguayan National team expelled two fans today, Friday, for mocking the air tragedy in which almost the entire squad of the Brazilian Chapecoense perished in 2016 during a Copa Libertadores match.

The tricolor team stated in a statement that the fans identified as members with numbers 82,520 and 108,733 had shown "insensitive" and "lacking any sense of human dignity" behavior.

The club also emphasized that their two supporters acted against the "traditional" ethical conduct of the institution during the first leg match of the Copa Libertadores second phase, which Nacional won 1-0 at Arena Condá, in Chapecó.

Nacional also stated that they have already provided the data of the two fans to the "corresponding authorities" to prevent their entry into sports events.

As seen in videos circulated through social media, the two tricolor members mocked the crash near the Colombian city of Medellín on November 28, 2016, which left 71 dead, including players, crew members, journalists, and executives of Chapecoense.

The charter plane was carrying the Brazilian team to play the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana final against Atlético Nacional.

Conmebol opened a disciplinary procedure against the Uruguayan team today for the behavior of its members.

Nacional had already expressed in a statement on Thursday that "unfortunately, many sick minds" channel their irrationality into sports venues and that the club has "made immense efforts" to prevent episodes "of this nature".

The next match between Nacional and Chapecoense will be played on February 7 in Montevideo.