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Soccer returns in South America, but not in Argentina

2020-05-31T10:16:53.550Z


Most of the leagues plan to return in August, but in our country the players believe that it will be in October, the leaders talk about September, although nobody rules out that it will be after June 30.


Daniel Avellaneda

05/30/2020 - 18:03

  • Clarín.com
  • sports

It originated in China, shook Europe, and came with all its virulence from this side of the Atlantic Ocean. Right now, America is the continent hardest hit by the coronavirus. And in all countries, with the exception of Nicaragua - which did not stop the activity - and at this time Costa Rica, the soccer industry is stopped throughout the continent, including the powerful North American MLS (Major League Soccer).

However, the show must go on . Sooner or later, the "quarantine" will end or be loosened. And since behind it it will leave a devastating effect for the economies, the leagues of the region begin to accelerate so that the ball rolls again. In this sense, while in Argentina the Professional Soccer League is projected between September and October, the rest of the federations have a fixed goal: to return, at the latest, in August. Fundamentally, for the objective set by Conmebol: retake the Libertadores, the South American and the Qualifying rounds in the ninth month of 2020.

South American football map in times of coronavirus


Infographic: Clarín

Argentina could give an advantage, especially in those teams that have commitments in the Cups. Claudio "Chiqui" Tapia is cautious, in line with the Government. Will the strategy change on June 30, when the contracts end? The same leaders who rushed to end the 2019/2020 season to flatten the salary mass, could push for now to accelerate the return. It will depend on the size of the infected curve, which grows steadily. FIFA announced that the pass book will be opened between July 7 and September 28 in our country. Is it an indication of the return date? In Members believe that October will be the month of football. What's more, they already know that it will be played in the week of Christmas and that there will be no holidays for the soccer players.

President and fans. Jair Bolsonaro, wearing the Flamengo shirt. To his left, Rodolfo Ladim, president of the club. He wants football to come back now. (Photo: Reuters).

Brazil will be the spearhead. Despite being the country hardest hit by Covid-19, with more than 400,000 infected and 25,000 deaths , the Rio de Janeiro championship already has a tentative date for its resumption: June 14. The Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, despite the record of the deaths, authorized the clubs to return to collective training starting next week. It is no coincidence that Marcelo Crivella has given football the green light in the "wonderful city" ; the evangelist bishop is an ally of Jair Bolsonaro.

The President, who is against quarantine, received in the Planalto Rodolfo Ladim, boss of Flamengo. And despite the fact that 38 employees, including three soccer players, tested positive for coronavirus, the champion of America has already closed ranks with his players. Botafogo and Fluminense are opposed, but the State will begin. In San Pablo there is resistance. That is why the Brasileirao is still a great question mark. And a survey from the University of Paraná gave a lapidary result: out of 3 thousand people consulted, 90% oppose the resumption of the contest.

Paraguay already has a return date. It will be on July 17. Olimpia is the last champion. (Photo: Clarín Archive)

Paraguay , which decreed preventive, social and compulsory isolation on March 12 and is the other side of Brazil, has controlled the situation: they do not reach 1,000 infections, almost half recovered and only suffered 11 deaths from the virus. The leaders met this past Thursday in person at the Paraguayan Football Association (APF) and resolved the resumption of the Apertura tournament from July 17.

Headache. Ricardo Gareca, coach of the National Team, pressures for football to return to Peru. (Photo: Clarín Archive)

Another country burdened by the coronavirus is Peru. Without going any further, on Wednesday he suffered his highest infection record: 6154. Still, there is anxiety about the return of football. Ricardo Gareca put pressure. “Strictly in sports, soccer needs to be reactivated. Players must return to practice. This needs to start as soon as possible, following protocols. The physical conditions of the players deteriorate more and more, ” said the coach of the Inca team. The leaders took note. Subtract the permission of the Ministry of Health. Once the protocols are approved, the Executive Committee will meet and start the championship, which could start in the first week of August . It would be played in six stadiums in Lima to facilitate sanitary control.

It would start in July. Ecuador has a probable date of return between 17 and 19 of that month. (Photo: Clarín Archive).

In Ecuador , where the virus also exploded with terrifying images, it was resolved that training will begin on June 8. The leaders reached this agreement after 9 hours! gathered through the Zoom. There were disagreements about the format of the tournament: continue with the current scheme –interrupted on the fifth date- or put together a regional championship. Only on June 22 will the issue be defined. The competition, in one way or another, would start between July 17 and 19.

Passed away. Frans Román Guzmán played in the youth teams of Bolivia and was a winger for Universitario de Trinidad. (Photo: Twitter).

Bolivia continues with its plan to resume activity in August , beyond the fact that in the last few hours the death of three people linked to soccer moved: Deibert Frans Román Guzmán, player from the University of Trinidad; his father, Luis Carmelo Román, coach of Deportivo Perequije; and his grandfather, Belizario Román, former treasurer of the Bolivian Football Federation. They all lived at the same address in the Pataití neighborhood, Beni department, one of the places most burdened by Covid-19 with 1,200 infected and 77 deaths.

The Uruguayan Tournament would return between August 1 and 15 from the other side of the Río de La Plata. (Photo: Clarín Archive)

On the neighboring bank of the Río de La Plata they already have in mind the return between August 1 and 15 for the Uruguayan . Like Paraguayans, they suffered few deaths (22) and those infected barely exceeded 800. The protocol presented by the AUF was approved by 13 of the 16 clubs in the First Division. There will be 4300 tests that the federation will take charge of to check the health of the soccer players.

On the other side of the Cordillera. The activity would return between July and August in Chile. (Photo: Clarín Archive).

Chile , on the other hand, is not only plagued by the pandemic –86 thousand infected and 890 dead-; His football is in crisis due to the resignation of Sebastián Moreno from the ANFP presidency. The resignation of its board created a power vacuum. In the midst of this institutional instability, Rodrigo Robles, competition manager, and Fernando Yañez, director of the medical subcommittee, announced the protocol for the competition. The desire of the clubs is to return to face-to-face training at the end of June, although they did not confirm it from the soccer union. The tournament could return to the ring between July and August.

Put first. On June 8, training will return in Colombia to just play in La Liga in August. (Photo: Clarín Archive).

In Colombia , the Sports Minister, Ernesto Lucena, confirmed that on June 8, individual training sessions will begin on the field. "The ball is in the hands of the Federation and Dimayor," said the official. The FCF and the league are working on the presentation of a protocol. There will be two stages of serological testing every four days. As in Peru, the BetPlay League would be played at one venue. Medellin, the Coffee Axis, Cali and Bucaramanga were proposed.

Depends on Maduro. The return of football in Venezuela will be the decision of its controversial president. The League calls for a return in September. (Photo: Clarín Archive).

Venezuela shows no signs. Currently, four municipalities are under curfew. The FVF canceled the tournament and the title was void. The FutVe League aspires to football in 2020 and proposes to start in September. "As long as the government authorizes" , they entrusted Clarín . It will depend on the humor of the dictator Nicolás Maduro.

JCh.

Source: clarin

All news articles on 2020-05-31

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