FIFA President Gianni Infantino said today that the 2022 World Cup qualifier between Brazil and Argentina, suspended due to intervention by Brazilian health authorities, should be resolved on the pitch.
On September 5, in Sao Paulo, the match was suspended for five minutes due to alleged violations of the protocols of the covid-19 pandemic.
“It’s always good to decide games on the pitch, not off the pitch. [de supostamente fornecer informações falsas na chegada] this cannot happen and the match cannot be interrupted in this way. This is unacceptable and harmful to football, “- defended the leader of the organization that monitors world football, at a press conference held today in Buenos Aires.
However, Infantino reminds that “this is not always possible, as there are rules”, so it is necessary to wait to “see what the disciplinary bodies of FIFA decide”.
The National Health Oversight Agency (Anvisa), escorted by police, broke into a playground in São Paulo, claiming that four Argentine footballers did not comply with the covid-19 pandemic after being urged to remain in quarantine at a hotel.
The eternal South American rivals met at the Neo Chimik Arena in the South American Zone qualifier for Mundial2022, which was canceled five minutes later.
The event in the match between “the two most glorious teams in South America” marked a moment of “madness” but also exemplified “the challenges that COVID-19 presents” for clubs, continental associations and governments, Infantino said, on top.
Anvisa accused the four Albiseleste players, who play in England, of providing “false information” in their entry details into Brazil, without disclosing their stay on British soil in the previous 14 days, which would have required a quarantine period as the country was included in the red list of Brazil in the fight against covid-19.
Giovanni Lo Chelso and Christian Romero, coached at Tottenham by the Portuguese Nuno Espiritu Santo, Emiliano Martinez and Emiliano Buendía, who play for Aston Villa, are players targeted by the authorities.
Eventually, upon arrival in Brazil, the four players were quarantined and advised to “return to their country of origin.”
After some discussion, the Argentina team left the field for the match, while the Brazilian footballers remained on the field for training.
The Argentines, protected by the permission of the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL), denied any misconduct, and the interim president of the Brazilian Football Confederation, Ednaldo Rodriguez, felt that Anvisa “exceeded the limits of common sense” by interrupting the game.
