Three Argentina players who’ve been ordered to leave Brazil after breaking quarantine laws have nevertheless been cleared to play Sunday’s World Cup qualifier.
Emiliano Martinez, Emiliano Buendia, Cristian Romero, and Giovani Lo Celso travelled with their nation for the September international round despite the Premier League’s restrictions on the journey.
They were at the end given permission to travel to the Arena Corinthians for the sport, with Martinez, Romero, and Lo Celso all starting for the Copa America champions.
“Following the report that 4 Argentine players entered Brazil in defiance of the nation’s sanitary laws, allegedly giving false data to the Brazilian well-being authority, Anvisa met with representatives of the Health Ministry and Illness Control Coordination of Sao Paulo’s State Health Department,” a statement explained on Sunday.
“After meeting with health authorities, it was confirmed, following revision of the passports of the 4 gamers involved, that the athletes broke the rules for the entry of travellers on Brazilian soil, which decrees that foreign travellers who’ve been in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Northern Eire and India in the final 14 days are banned from entering Brazil.
“The players in query declared they’d not been in any of these 4 restricted countries in the final 14 days. They arrived in Brazil on a flight from Caracas which landed in Guarulhos (Sao Paulo). Then, unofficial reports got here to Anvisa over alleged false declarations from the travellers.
“Anvisa considers the scenario a severe health risk, and has therefore instructed native health authorities to impose rapid quarantine measures on the gamers, who’re banned from engaging in any activity and shall be unable to stay in Brazilian territory.”
The bigger picture
Argentina’s quartet was among the many few Premier League gamers able to arrive in South America, with Brazil shedding no fewer than 9 players because of the Premier League’s decision to not release travellers sure for countries on the UK’s red listing.
Martinez and Lo Celso each began in Thursday’s 3-1 victory over Venezuela in Caracas, with Buendia left out the match-day squad and Romero hoping to return on Sunday after serving a one-match suspension.
Reviews of the quartet’s infraction emerged following their arrival in Brazil, though CONMEBOL maintained on Saturday that their presence was permissible as they formed part of the national crew’s bubble.
“Our tournaments are performed inside a sanitary bubble which excuses delegation from going into quarantine for 72 hours,” CONMEBOL general secretary Gonzalo Belloso instructed Clarin.
“The World Cup qualifiers are performed with the same model. We have told the Brazilian authorities and the CBF [Brazilian Football Confederation] who’re the hosts and should assure the sport is played.”
Following Anvisa’s assertion, police were seen exterior the Argentina crew resort in Sao Paulo as negotiations continued at a furious pace simply two hours before the sport was scheduled to kick off at Arena Corinthians.
A deal was ultimately struck which noticed the 4 board the crew bus and go away for the stadium, as Argentina repeat the same starting line-up which beat Brazil to the Copa America title again in July with a 1-0 victory in the Estadio Maracana.
Buendia is the one member of the group who will play no half in Sunday’s match as he was not included in coach Lionel Scaloni’s squad for the second successive sport.
