Gonzalo Jara is the butt of the joke, as he's banned from the rest of the Copa America after jabbing Edinson Cavani in the bum

Chile defender Gonzalo Jara has apparently been banned from the rest of the Copa America after bizarrely poking Uruguay's Edinson Cavani in the backside.

Jara gently slapped Cavani in the face before his poke provoked the Paris Saint-Germain striker to flick out at him, collecting a second yellow, while Jara went unpunished.

However, while the ex-West Brom, Brighton and Nottingham Forest man helped his host country into the tournament's semi-finals, with Chile snatching a 1-0 win, he will now miss the run-in.

Edinson Cavani (third left) makes his views very clear as he argues with Gonzalo Jara over the incidents.


Cavani was shown a red card for two yellows after abusing the referee's assistant and the flick at Jara.

Cavani had previously collected a yellow card for some over-zealous protestations aimed at an assistant referee, before the unsavoury 63rd minute incidents. 

After some dialogue between the pair while Jara was standing over a free-kick just inside Uruguay's half, Jara slyly poked Cavani in the derriere, after passing the set-piece short and sideways to a team-mate.

With referee Sandro Ricci keeping an eye on the duo, he failed to see Jara's action as he was facing the players but did see Cavani's petty retaliation, followed by Jara's theatrical fall to the ground, deeming the Uruguay man's part in the scuffle worthy of a second yellow card, despite his protestations.

Cavani is shown his first yellow by Sandro Ricci after some over-zealous protestations aimed at his assistant.

With Uruguay down to ten men Chile’s Mauricio Isla scored the only goal of the game in the 81st minute, before Uruguay had another player sent off - Jorge Fucile departed for a horror challenge on Alexis Sanchez on the touchline as Uruguay lost their heads.

But after Mainz’s Jara below the belt deed, which occurred exactly one year after Luis Suarez's infamous World Cup bite on Giorgio Chiellini, reporter Juan Arango has claimed that Jara will be banned.

Reporter Juan Arango has claimed that Jara will be banned for his role Cavani's sending off.