Argentine President Alberto Fernandez confirmed on Sunday that his country, co-organizer of the Copa America with Colombia, was ready to host the continental football competition despite the onslaught of the pandemic.
“We have agreed with Conmebol to organize the Copa America and we will do so with the restrictions on use,” the head of state told Argentinian television station C5N.
“We were consulted and we said yes. With all the attention required. It will be a Copa America for television, it must also be underlined, ”added Mr. Fernandez in reference to the meetings which will be disputed behind closed doors. “Under these conditions, we are ready to fulfill our commitment.”
A cloud of uncertainty hangs over the 2021 Copa America, which is due to kick off in a month, due to the continued rise in contamination in South America and the violent riots shaking Colombia, the co-organizing country.
Argentina is going through its most difficult period since the start of the pandemic and had a total of 3.3 million cases and 70,552 deaths on Sunday.
On Sunday, the River Plate club was deprived of fifteen players who tested positive for Covid-19 before the derby lost to their Buenos Aires rival, Boca Juniors (1-1, 4 tab 2) in the quarter-finals of the Coupe de la Argentine League.
La Conmebol has bet on the vaccination of the entire professional football world in South America by distributing the 50,000 doses of vaccine offered by the Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac.
For now, the cities designated to host meetings are Cordoba, Santiago del Estero, Mendoza and Buenos Aires for Argentina. In Colombia, these are Barranquilla, Medellin, Cali and Bogota.
The Copa America kicks off on June 13 with an Argentina-Chile at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires. The final is scheduled for July 10 at the Metropolitano de Barranquilla.
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