Conmebol opens probe into Copa Libertadores brawl

Rio de Janeiro, April 27 (IANS):

South American football’s governing body, Conmebol, has launched an investigation into a wild brawl after a Copa Libertadores match between Chile’s Huachipato and Brazil’s Gremio earlier this month.

Both clubs have until Monday (April 29) to present their defence to a disciplinary panel, Conmebol said in a statement Friday, Xinhua reports.

Gremio’s coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo and defender Douglas Grolli were both cited as being under investigation.

The April 18 melee, which involved players and officials from both clubs, occurred after the final whistle of the teams’ 1-1 draw in the Chilean city of Talcahuano.

The result was enough to secure Gremio’s passage to the tournament’s knockout phase while Huachipato were eliminated on goal difference.

Luxemburgo’s team will meet Colombia’s Independiente de Santa Fe in the round of 16 with the first match at the Arena do Gremio in Porto Alegre May 1.