Conmebol fined Club Olimpia $25,000 for violations recorded during the match against Vasco da Gama, played on August 20 in the Copa Sudamericana. The decision also issued a warning to Joel Andrés Barrios Espinoza, the Paraguayan club’s press chief.
Of the total, $20,000 relates to the use of flares, fireworks and other pyrotechnic devices, conduct covered by Article 12.2(c) of the Conmebol Disciplinary Code. The remaining $5,000 was imposed for failing to follow instructions given by match officials, under Article 11.2(h).
The body ordered both fines to be deducted automatically from amounts Olimpia would receive from Conmebol in television rights or sponsorship revenue. In practice, the punishment directly reduces the club’s revenues from the continental competition.
Barrios was warned for an offense under Article 11.2(c), which concerns behavior considered unacceptable. The decision links the case to the early closure of the mixed zone, an area designated for player interviews after the match, while athletes were still inside the stadium. This circumstance was disclosed in a report that attributed the information to a radio broadcaster; the disciplinary decision confirms the warning but does not detail, in the reproduced passage, the specific incident that prompted it.
Conmebol also warned Olimpia and Barrios that a repeat of violations of the same or a similar nature could lead to additional consequences under Article 27 of the Disciplinary Code. The decision was notified to the club and the official.
Olimpia may appeal to the Conmebol Appeals Commission within seven calendar days, counted from the day after notification of the grounds for the decision. The appeal must meet the formal requirements of Article 64 of the code and involves a $3,000 appeal fee, payable by bank transfer.