[Saba Sports News] According to Spanish media reports, following Uruguay’s elimination from the tournament, the official Uruguayan national team social media accounts posted a photo of their player Agustín Canobbio striking opponent Marc Cucurella in the face, sparking massive controversy. During that match, Canobbio was sent off for a vicious foul on Pablo Gavi. His red card then led to shoving of the referee and chaotic clashes involving players on the substitutes’ bench. The social media post contained no accompanying text, only the photo clearly showing Canobbio’s right hand making contact with Cucurella’s face. The post quickly drew a flood of comments and engagement online. Interestingly, there exists another well-known physical altercation between players from these two sides: Federico Valverde of Uruguay and Spanish midfielder Álex Baena. The pair clashed on the pitch back in April 2023, after which Valverde assaulted Baena in the stadium car park following the final whistle.
The editor believes that a similar incident took place four years ago when Uruguay were knocked out by Ghana in the group stage of the Qatar World Cup, during which Edinson Cavani even damaged VAR equipment. Compared with the ugly scenes on the pitch and the subsequent backlash on social media, reports of chaos in the dressing room during Marcelo Bielsa’s tenure have faded into the background.