Santiago (Chile), May 2 (AP) Chilean club Colo Colo said on Thursday it will appeal a ruling that it must play five home matches in continental competition without fans and that its supporters will be banned from the next five away matches.

South American soccer's governing body CONMEBOL confirmed the bans Wednesday after two teenage fans were killed in a crush ahead of a Copa Libertadores match last month.

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“It is a hard penalty for Colo Colo and we will appeal,” team president Edmundo Valladares said. “We hope that we can overturn it, at least in part."

Two fans died before the start of a Copa Libertadores match between Colo Colo and Fortaleza of Brazil near Santiago's Estadio Monumental on April 10. According to authorities, a group of fans attempted to force their way into the stadium and tore down one of the venue's protective fences. The victims were reportedly trapped beneath them.

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“Let's also hope that this experience serves to ... make fans more aware,” Valladares added.

CONMEBOL also ruled that Fortaleza won the match 3-0 and Colo Colo must pay a fine of $80,000.

“The penalty is hard — it hurts us on the field if we lose 3-0 and the economic side also hits us. But we will present the best appeal possible,” Valladares said.

Colo Colo, the winningest club in Chile with 32 league championships, is last in its group in Copa Libertadores after the first three rounds. (AP) AM

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)