Dhe Corona scandal at the Super Clássico in the World Cup qualification not only caused great excitement to the world stars Lionel Messi and Neymar, but also to the whole of Brazil and Argentina. “The game that didn’t take place” was the headline of the Brazilian portal “Globoesporte”.
A fitting slogan for an unprecedented abandonment of the game, in which officials from the health surveillance authority, which also permits corona vaccines, wanted to get three Argentine players from English clubs off the field on Sunday evening in São Paulo.
The world association Fifa now has to solve a huge problem. For professionals around the world, the message should be that in the pandemic there are no special rights for them either. Gianni Infantino, President of Fifa, could not foresee any consequences from the abandoned game in São Paulo on Monday.
The superstars Lionel Messi (Ml) and Neymar (Mr) were in the middle of the game abandoned and discussed wildly
Source: dpa-infocom GmbH
“Last night, everyone saw what happened in the game between Brazil and Argentina – the two most glorious South American teams. Some officials, the police and security forces stepped onto the lawn after a few minutes of play and led players off the field, ”said the Swiss during a recorded speech at the general assembly of the European Club Association in Geneva. “That’s crazy. But we have to deal with these challenges that come on top of the Corona crisis. “
Messi denies contact
The Argentine sports newspaper “Olé”, on the other hand, spoke on the “unforgettable 5th September 2021”, of “scandal” and “Brazilian shame”. After the game was stopped, Messi returned to the turf. The newcomer from Paris St. Germain spoke to Brazilian players, coach Tite and Seleção coordinator Juninho Paulista, no longer in a jersey, but in a photographer’s shirt.
“We’re leaving,” said Messi, as later shown in a video on Brazilian television. “You did it the wrong way. But they said the players had been notified, ”Juninho Paulistano said in Spanish. “No, they didn’t let us know,” Messi replied. “We have been here for days. You should have come on the first day and not like that. “
What happened? Exactly 4:50 minutes after kick-off, Brazil’s health authority Anvisa had interrupted the encounter between the arch-rivals because of violations of corona regulations. The pictures went around the world. Anvisa employees, one of them with a notebook in hand, got the three Argentinian England professionals Emiliano Martínez, Cristian Romero and Giovanni Lo Celso off the pitch. When they stepped on the field, it almost resulted in a scuffle with Argentine actors. Neymar also looked incredulous, Messi no longer seemed to understand the world.
Fifa starts an investigation
Fifa has now handed the matter over to the Disciplinary Commission. There was initially no information about a catch-up date for the game or a possible loss of points for one of the teams. The Brazilian association CBF expressed itself “absolutely surprised” about the timing of the measure. From his point of view, Anvisa could have acted much more appropriately – even in the days before the game. Argentina’s AFA announced that the Albiceleste delegation had been in Brazil since September 3rd.
A few hours before the game, Anvisa had ordered quarantine for the four Argentines Martínez and Emiliano Buendía (both Aston Villa) and Lo Celso and Romero (both Tottenham Hotspur). When entering from Caracas after the first qualifying game against Venezuela, the England professionals did not state, according to Anvisa, that they had been in the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, South Africa or India in the past 14 days. Foreign travelers who were there during this period are not allowed to enter Brazil due to the corona restrictions.
Brazilian television captured several player-coach conversations and comments from the chaos on the field. “You have 24 hours before the game, 72 hours before the game, you have to do it at the time of the game,” said Seleção coach Tite angrily in the direction of the Anvisa officials. According to an announcement from Anvisa, the authority had previously tried everything to get to the Argentine team, but was blocked.
Messi (r.) Said on the pitch that the Argentine team had not been contacted by the authorities
What: REUTERS
The Argentines went to the locker room after the game ended abruptly, while the Brazilians stayed and later took part in a training session. The bus with the Albiceleste took hours to head for the airport. On Friday it should continue for Messi and Co. against Bolivia.
The Super Clássico was supposed to be the revenge for the Copa América final at the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro in July, when Argentina won their first international title with the national team 1-0 against Brazil and Messi.
Politics is also concerned with demolition
The Argentine government reacted quickly to the scandal – and was outraged. “If Brazil had considered the country of origin of the Argentine players beyond the protocol established by Fifa as a risk zone, then it could have acted at the time of entry into its territory,” wrote Florencia Carignano, director of the Argentine migration authority, on Twitter. “Waiting three days and then going out on the field and pausing a game seems more of a staging than a health measure.”
Argentina’s Nicolas Otamendi (l.-r.), Giovani Lo Celso and Emiliano Martinez sneak off the field
Source: dpa-infocom GmbH
According to a report by “Globoesporte”, the South American football association Conmebol and the CBF intervened with the Brazilian government to allow the four Argentine England professionals to play against Brazil. Accordingly, an agreement was reached that they could take part in the game. The Brazilian government did not comment on this. The Brazilian Ministry of Health only stated “that it supports and recognizes the recommendations of Anvisa, the authority responsible for health surveillance in the country”.
The first diplomatic faults were kicked off by the son of the President and Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, who called the Argentines “crooks” in a tweet. “They knew they were circumventing Brazilian law,” he wrote, demanding: “The federal police must investigate who did not take action before the game, and Argentina should be severely punished.” In another tweet, he left – in Spanish – the ultimate provocation to the South American rivals: “Pelé is bigger than Maradona! Brazil five times world champion! “
.
