FIFA resolves that the Brazil-Argentina match be played on a neutral field and fines both Federations

The FIFA Disciplinary Committee resolved that the party Brazil-Argentinaqualifying for the 2022 World Cup that was suspended on September 5, is played on a date and place decided by FIFA and imposed a two-game ban on four Argentine players and fines to the federations of both countries.

the encounter was interrupted by the National Health Surveillance Agency of Brazil when 5 minutes had elapsed, alleging that four Argentine players omitted upon arrival in Brazil that they had been in the United Kingdom 14 days earlier, which forced them to remain in isolation, in accordance with the country’s regulations due to the pandemic.

According to the decision announced by FIFA, Argentine internationals Emiliano Buendía, Emiliano Martínez, Giovani Lo Celso and Cristian Romero will have to serve a two-match ban for failing to comply with the regulations “The return of football: international match protocol”.

After “a thorough investigation of the various elements of fact and in view of the regulations in force”, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has concluded that “the suspension of the match responded to various deficiencies in the respective responsibilities and obligations of the parties involved”.

Match between Brazil and Argentina was suspended for violation of the health protocol

In addition to the sanctions on the players, the disciplinary commission has imposed a fine of 500,000 Swiss francs on the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF). for offenses committed against security and public order.

Also a fine of 200,000 Swiss francs to the Argentine Football Association (AFA) for failure to comply with their obligations with respect to security and public order, preparations for the match and their participation in it.

The resolution also includes ordering, respectively, the Brazilian Football Confederation and the Argentine Football Association to pay a fine of 50,000 Swiss francs as a result of the suspension of the match.

The Brazil-Argentina match, corresponding to the sixth day of the South American qualifiers for the Qatar 2022 World Cup, was suspended after Argentina withdrew its team from the field after the irruption, after five minutes, of the prosecutors of the National Agency of Sanitary Surveillance (Anvisa, regulator), after the complaint that the four players had provided false information in immigration.

Emiliano Martínez and Emiliano Buendía (Aston Villa) and Cristian Romero and Giovani Lo Celso (Tottenham) traveled to South America to join their national team, after performing the previous week with their clubs in England. Three days before the meeting with Brazil in Sao Paulo they had played in Caracas against Venezuela (1-3), also in a qualifying match for the World Cup.

Brazilian health regulations required that people who had been in the United Kingdom, India and South Africa in the last 14 days must comply with a mandatory 10-day quarantine and, according to Anvisa, the athletes provided “false information” in this regard during their registration process. immigration.

Martínez, Romero and Lo Celso took the field as starters and Buendía was on the bench at the Neo Química Arena stadium in Sao Paulo. After the withdrawal from the field of Argentina, only its captain, Lionel Messi, left to talk with the Brazilians Neymar and Marquinhos, teammates in the French Paris Saint Germain, and with the local coach Tite and Dani Alves, to whom he informed that his team would not play without the four players involved in the incident.

Both Brazil and Argentina certified last November their classification for the World Cup in Qatar, which will be played between November 21 and December 18 next. (D)