Marcelo is suspended for three games by Conmebol and is absent from Flu

The bid involving left-back Marcelo, from Fluminense, and defender Luciano Sánchez, from Argentinos Juniors, for the round of 16 of Libertadores, is still unfolding. Conmebol announced this Thursday that the defender of the club from Rio de Janeiro will be suspended for three games for stepping on his opponent’s leg, in addition to paying a fine of US$ 6,000 (approximately R$ 30,000).

One of the matches that Marcelo would have to fulfill has already happened. It was the return duel with Argentino Juniors himself, this Tuesday, in which the Laranjeiras club won by 2-0. Now, the 35-year-old player will miss Fernando Diniz’s team in the face of the two clashes in the quarterfinals.

The decision was announced by the Conmebol Disciplinary Court. Fluminense even filed an appeal to prevent the punishment from being greater than just the return game, but the entity that organizes South American football did not comply. To appeal against the fine, Fluminense would have seven consecutive days from this Friday and pay US$ 3 thousand (approximately R$ 15 thousand).

Fluminense wanted, at first, that the card was permanently suspended, since the move in which Marcelo steps on the opponent’s leg was without the intention of hurting him. The match judge reported on the scoresheet “severe rough play”. The Brazilian side was impacted and stopped the move immediately when he committed the act. Even expelled, he tried to apologize to Sánchez, but the rival had already been taken to the hospital. After examinations, dislocation was detected in the left knee with a return forecast of up to one year.