Ecuadorian Football Federation asks the COE to reconsider the decision to prevent the presence of the public in the match against Brazil

In a letter addressed to John Zapata, as president of Emergency Operations Committee (COE) national, the Ecuadorian Football Federation (FEF), through its president, Francis Egas, requests that the decision not to allow the presence of the public for the match between Ecuador and Brazil, to be played this Thursday at the Rodrigo Paz Delgado Stadium.

The head of professional football states: “We would like to reiterate and ratify our support for the complex tasks that are being carried out to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the country. As a federation, being responsible and respectful of the decisions of the national authority, during these years of pandemic, promoters and vigilants of all self-care measures for the population. In addition, we have gone further, and by our own management, we have contributed to the successful process of mass vaccination of Ecuadorians”.

He further details: “It would leave us in a very bad predicament that Ecuador becomes the only country in the region to play without an audience, when countries like Argentina, Brazil Y Uruguay they have authorized 100% capacity; Colombia, at 75%; Y Peru, which has the most restrictive policy, allows 30% occupancy in its sports venues.

After other presentations and justifications for the COE to review the decision, Egas indicates: “For all the above, we request your authority, in the most respectful way, but with absolute firmness, to reconsider and review the decision contained in the resolution issued yesterday and the presence of the public is allowed for the match of our national team, meeting our initial requirement, which is absolutely consistent with the reality we are going through.

Elsewhere he adds: “We strongly request that the response to this request be made on Tuesday, January 25, by virtue of the fact that the game will be played on Thursday the 27th and, whatever the decision of the national and municipal authorities, we must inform the general public, which is waiting.”

“We trust that the COE will take these arguments into consideration and allow the country, with all the precautions and responsibility that we have been showing, to live from the stadium, together with the players, this date that will bring us the joy and optimism so necessary these days”.

In the final part, it states: “Contrary to what many people may think, the FEF is not indolent with the situation that the country is going through derived from the pandemic; on the contrary, all we want is to make people happy, that there is the sensation of a gradual return to normality, taking care of them and putting, for all things, the safety of the people, those people who have massively spoken out with their support so that the presence of the public for this match is authorized, those people who want to see their team, encourage it and, why not, have a joy in these difficult times. (D)