MIAMI, FL (Monday, January 12, 2015) – The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) announced today that its Disciplinary Committee has levied fines on Cruz Azul Fútbol Club and Liga Deportiva Alajuelense, participants in the 2014/15 edition of the CONCACAF Champions League –- recently rebranded as the Scotiabank Champions League — and suspended players from each of those clubs for their involvement in an altercation following the Champions League group stage match played on October 21, 2014 at the Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto in Alajuela, Costa Rica.
Each team was fined a separate, undisclosed amount for the incident, which took place following the end of the return leg of a Champions League group stage encounter between the two clubs.
The fine to Cruz Azul includes a levy for the participation of players in the altercation, as well as an additional penalty for repeated infractions to the applicable CONCACAF and FIFA regulations regarding sportsmanlike behavior and fair play in Champions League games.
LD Alajuelense, the home team for the match in which the incident occurred, was also fined for the players’ involvement in the altercation. The club received an additional fine for its failure to properly secure the playing field against incursions from spectators and media at the conclusion of the match in question.
In addition to the fines, players from both clubs were handed the following suspensions that will apply only to future Scotiabank Champions League games:
Mauro Formica of Cruz Azul has been suspended six matches, applicable to any future participation in the Scotiabank Champions League by the player, for inciting the incident. The suspension does not apply to FIFA events and would not have carried over to the recently disputed 2014 FIFA Club World Cup, in which Cruz Azul participated.
From LD Alajuelense, players Patrick Pemberton and Kevin Sancho were also handed suspensions of six games each, the first two games of which must be served during the two legs of the upcoming Scotiabank Champions League quarterfinals, to which LD Alajuelense has qualified.
The Scotiabank Champions League resumes on Tuesday, February 24, with the first matches of the home-and-away quarterfinals. LD Alajuelense hosts DC United at the Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto at 8 pm ET on Thursday, February 26, in the first leg of that quarterfinal match-up.
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