The data leaves no doubt. Brazil always makes people talk. Rio de Janeiro is the second municipality in Brazil most affected by Covid-19 after San Pablo and, according to the last bulletin released by the regional Health Secretariat, the virus killed at least 6,366 people and left 55,286 positive cases in the city of Rio de Janeiro within a much worse framework: this Saturday, the sister country has more than 1,310,000 cases and 57,000 deaths from the virus. Even so, not only will football return, but it is also being thought about with the public. And when it is said ‘already’, it is said from July 10 …
Yes. The Mayor of Rio de Janeiro released the presence of the public in the stadiums of soccer of the teams that participate in the Carioca Championship from next July 10. In a decree published in the Official Gazette of the municipality late on Friday, between roosters and midnight, the Mayor of Rio de Janeiro announced that the stadiums will be authorized to receive a third of their capacity as fans, with a distance of 4 square meters per person and with the sale of tickets online. The decree, which is subject to alterations, does not specify how the distance of 4 square meters between the fans will be carried out.
The Carioca Championship, the regional tournament of the state of Rio de Janeiro, became last June 18 the first professional sports competition in South America to return to activity after the stoppage caused by the coronavirus pandemic, with a match played by the champion of the Libertadores, Flamengo, and Bangu, at the Maracanã stadium. The return of the tournament was marked by controversy, since two of the four largest clubs in Rio de Janeiro, Fluminense and Botafogo, whose return was scheduled for Monday June 25, were opposed to resuming activities in the midst of the pandemic and went to Justice not to play until at least July.
However, the Supreme Court of Sports Justice (STJD) set for this Sunday, the 28th, the return of both teams: Botafogo will receive Cabofriense and Fluminense to Volta Redonda. The Rio de Janeiro government’s decision will allow the Rio Cup final, the second phase of the Rio de Janeiro Championship, scheduled for July 12, to have an audience at the stadium.
With the measure, the Maracanã stadium will be able to receive up to 22,000 people per game, at Nilton Santos about 14,000 and at Sao Januario, 7,000, to have references. The decree also establishes that as of August 1, stadiums are allowed to receive 2/3 of their public capacity, and as of August 16, the forecast is that there will be no more restrictions. Perhaps, at that time, the first training sessions are taking place in Argentina …
