Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa defended his players involved in a clash with Colombian fans after Wednesday's Copa America semi-final, saying "anyone would have reacted like that" to protect their families.
An angry Bielsa criticised tournament organisers for not doing enough to protect the families of players seated behind the Uruguay bench and he justified players taking matters into their own hands to protect their loved ones.
His side reached the semi-finals but were eliminated by Colombia via a 1-0 defeat.
He said: "You know whose responsibility it is to protect the fans in the stands. You have to ask me whether the players have received an apology from those responsible for safeguarding security," the former Leeds United manager told reporters on Friday. He did not fear possible sanction, he added.
"The players reacted as any human being would have done if they saw that there was no escape or prevention and they were attacking their wife, mother, a baby.
"What should they do?... Nobody wants to see a violent reaction, but you have to look at what a reaction is in response to."
Meanwhile, Canada manager Jesse Marsch has lambasted the way the tournament has been organised in the USA, from logistics, to security, to pitch quality.
