Employees of the So Paulo state health department are planning to visit (4) the hotel where the Argentine men are to investigate possible health regulations violations by four players from the team playing for clubs in England. The football team on hold: Emiliano Martínez and Buendia (Aston Villa) and Cristian Romero and Lou Celso (Tottenham).
Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency) informed the So Paulo Health Department that the quartet did not go through the mandatory quarantine period to enter Brazil and did not have special authorization, as in other FIFA date periods in the past. To UOL Sport, the agency confirms that a technical visit will be conducted throughout the afternoon to better understand the situation and check whether the players’ stay in the country has been approved by any authority. From this, an opinion will be formed that can veto his participation in the game against Brazil, tomorrow (5), at 4 pm.
As per Ordinance No. 655 dated 23rd June 2021 Presidency of the Republic and the Civil House, travellers “with an origin or history of travel through the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Republic of South Africa and the Republic of India in the previous fourteen days, must, upon entry into the territory of Brazil, remain in quarantine for fourteen days. “
This is the case in which Emiliano Martinez, Buendia, Cristian Romero and Lo Celso fit together. They traveled from England to Argentina and then to Venezuela, where they beat the local team 3-1 on Thursday in a World Cup qualifier in Qatar. As a result, the group reached Brazil at 4 pm for tomorrow’s game (5), at the Neo Quimica Arena, against the Brazilian team, and even trained in So Paulo with the presence of the quartet.
Although they did not come directly from England, but the players have come to the country only a few days ago and for this they need quarantine due to lack of special clearance. The Argentine Football Federation (AFA) is yet to comment on the matter.
The investigation into possible health rules violations by the Sao Paulo government comes on the same FIFA date in which 12 players from Brazil’s team were vetoed by their clubs for reasons related to the pandemic. Teams in England and Russia banned the call precisely because athletes would have to undergo quarantine upon their return from Brazil thus embezzling clubs in crucial sports, including the Champions League.
The Argentine Federation reached an agreement with four of its England players’ clubs to allow them to travel to the triple round of the qualifiers, unlike the CBF, which plans to join FIFA to question the veto.
