Health agency accuses Brazil, Argentina and CONMEBOL of chaos

[ad_1]

SAO PAULO (AP) Brazilian health agency Anvisa accuses Brazilian and Argentine soccer federations and South American soccer organization CONMEBOL for the chaos that interrupted Sunday’s World Cup qualifier between rivals .

The match was interrupted after seven minutes when an agent from Anvisa and a police officer went to the NeoQuimica Arena pitch to remove four Argentinian players who the agency said should be in quarantine. The match was later suspended.

Goalkeeper Emiliano Martnez, defender Cristian Romero, midfielder Giovanni Lo Celso and winger Emiliano Buendia are English Premier League players who were in the UK in the 14 days prior to their arrival in Brazil. They are under investigation for allegedly providing false information.

FIFA has opened an investigation. No decision has been made as to whether the game will be replayed.

We highlight the lack of collaboration in the respect of health protocols by the people involved (CBF, CONMEBOL, AFA and the players themselves), who have deliberately hindered and embarrassed public officials in the exercise of their duty in favor of the health of the Brazilian people, Anvisa said in a statement on Wednesday.

The two national football federations and CONMEBOL deny any wrongdoing. But Anvisa said in her report that all three football bodies tried to cheat the status of the four players until an hour before kick-off.

Anvisa said she had warned football bodies of the need to isolate these players since Saturday and accused them of not disclosing that they had recently traveled to the UK, a country on the list Brazilian Red for COVID-19.

Anvisa said his agent decided to enter the pitch after hearing the national anthems played, which he saw as the final proof of Brazil’s non-compliance with sanitary rules.

When we got to the tunnel, we stopped because we saw that the match was underway. So we are starting a series of conversations with several people who have identified themselves as members of CONMEBOL, CBF and AFA, Anvisa said, citing the agent who entered the field.

In contact with (match official) Rodrigo Luis and (police) investigator Pedro Henrique, I asked if we could come onto the pitch to warn the players. They said yes. Investigator Pedro went ahead and I followed, according to the report.

A representative of the CBF tried to argue about waiting for the break so that they could be replaced. We disagreed as it was not a negotiation, it was legal action and a fix for their non-compliance. We insisted that all four players be warned, the agent said, adding that he never intended to stop the game.

Earlier on Wednesday, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni defended his decision to field three of the four players in question. Buendia was not in the stadium, the other three being holders.

We had an OK from CONMEBOL, the players went out on the pitch and played, Scaloni said ahead of Argentina’s game against Bolivia on Thursday, also in the World Cup qualifiers. At no time did we leave the field on our initiative, only when the person in charge of CONMEBOL told us.

Brazil, however, never left the pitch and held a training session after the match was suspended.

Coach Tite suggested during his press conference that all four players were to blame for the chaos.

All of the comments from Anvisa, the Department of Health, are correct. Football is not above the law, we are dealing with lives here, Tite said ahead of Brazil’s game against Peru. To come here and go through the laws, dribble some situations. . This has no place.

___

More AP football: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

[ad_2]