The mayor of Rio de Janeiro announced Friday that he would not hesitate to cancel the Copa America meetings scheduled in his city in the event of the worsening of the Covid-19 pandemic in the Brazilian metropolis.
We did not ask for the Copa América and if you want my opinion, I find that now is not the right time to organize such a tournament.
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“I do not see any advantage in the idea of hosting Copa América matches (…) We did not ask for the Copa América and if you want my opinion, I think this is not the right time to organize such a tournament “, said Mayor Eduardo Paes during his weekly press briefing on the health situation.
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The city councilor recalled that competitive club matches, such as the Brazilian championship and the Copa Libertadores, were allowed in Rio behind closed doors, according to a decree in force until June 14, the day after the opening match of the Copa America, in Brasilia. “But if the situation worsens, we will have another decree and that will end” football competitions in the city, he added, adding that the organizers were not “at no time came into contact with municipal health authorities”.
June 14 is precisely the day Rio will host the first of its eight Copa América matches, between Lionel Messi’s Argentina and Chile, at the Nilton Santos stadium, which hosted the athletics events of the 2016 Olympic Games. Seven matches are to take place in this arena, including a semi-final, and the final is scheduled at the legendary Maracana stadium.
Stars like Luis Suarez against holding the tournament
On Monday, the surprise announcement that Brazil would host the tournament instead of Argentina and Colombia triggered an avalanche of criticism, in a country where nearly 470,000 people have died from Covid-19. But the South American Confederation (Conmebol) wanted to thank the far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, for having “opened the doors of his country”.
The head of state, whose management of the pandemic is considered irresponsible by most specialists, has multiplied this week the statements in favor of this Copa America in Brazil. According to him, it is normal to host such a tournament if the country is already hosting matches in international club competitions, such as the Copa Libertadores.
Several stars from other South American countries, such as Uruguayan Luis Suarez, have already spoken out against the holding of the Copa América in the midst of a pandemic. Boycott rumors have also started to crop up from the Brazilian side. Several media indicate that the coach Tite could tender his resignation due to a disagreement with his federation on the organization of the tournament in his country.
On Thursday Tite claimed he had an opinion “very clear” on the subject and that he would express it at the end of the last of the two qualifying matches for the World Cup-2022, this Friday evening, against Ecuador, and Tuesday, against Paraguay.
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