06/06/2021 8:37 AM
Clarín.com
sports
Updated 06/06/2021 8:37 AM
The realization of the America's Cup entered in the last weeks in shifting lands. First was the decline in Colombia, involved in a social crisis. Then it was the slam of Argentina, which was going to completely take over the organization and then backtracked when it saw that the rate of coronavirus infections did not stop growing and the decision to play could have a strong political cost. This is how Brazil emerged. With Jair Bolsonaro as guarantor, he became the improvised host no matter that the epidemiological situation is the same or worse than in our country. It seemed that everything was flowing until the opposition of the footballers appeared. Those who began to stand were the players of the Brazilian team. And immediately a network began to be spread with players from other countries.The movement grew so much that in the last hours there is already talk of a possible boycott of the competition by the main protagonists.
That is why on Saturday night an emergency meeting was called between Conmebol and the presidents of the federations. Bolsonaro participated in the virtual meeting. And the captains of the national teams were also summoned. However, the footballers did not heed the call.
What happened on the conference call? Bolsonaro provided guarantees to ensure that the Copa América, whose start date is set for next Sunday, is played no matter what. Without paying attention at all to the proposals of the Verdeamarelos players, who seem convinced not to play the tournament in these sanitary conditions. In fact, the presidents of the federations of Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina would have recognized last night in the virtual meeting about the discontent of the footballers of their countries.
What left the meeting is that the competition, for now, is played anyway.
However, we have to wait to see what happens with the movement of the players that will just see the light, if there is no surprise, after Tuesday's matches for the World Cup qualifiers in Qatar 2022. That will be the key date.
The players of the Brazilian team announced that after the match against Paraguay they will make their position known.
In reality, their opinion is already known: they are against it.
What will be known is how far his claim goes:
will there be a boycott or simply the decision to play under protest?
All united, will we triumph?
The scenario is more complex and promises to shake up South American football. Because the Brazilians. From the leadership of its captain Casemiro, seconded by Thiago Silva, there have already been contacts with other referents. It is logical to think that they seek support, especially from Argentina and Uruguay. In the Selection of Lionel Scaloni the malaise persists, motivated more by football reasons, before the change of venue: they went from being locals and candidates to being very visitors. On the side of the Celeste, both Luis Suárez and Edinson Cavani have already demonstrated against the Cup being played in this context, even before the change of scenery.
The network of contacts is easy to trace.
Neymar called Messi and there were talks with Suárez and Cavani.
The PSG group (Marquinhos, Neymar, Paredes and Di María, and we must add Thiago Silva, today in Chelsea), the Atlético de Madrid group (Suárez, Angel Correa and the Brazilians Felipe and Renan Lodi).
In addition, Casemiro is Federico Valverde's teammate at Real Madrid;
Cavani, from Fred at Manchester United and at City, until a few days ago Agüero shared his day to day with Gabriel Jesús and Ederson.
All of them are concentrated with their selections.
In principle, it would be a kind of collective manifesto to try to get Conmebol to listen and decide to suspend the Copa América.
Can there be a boycott in case this is not enough?
Some footballers are very convinced to go to depth.
“Everyone knows our position, everyone knows it, it is impossible to clarify and Tité has already exposed it publicly.
It is not my personal position, it is not the position of the national team footballers in Europe.
It is the position of all the players on the squad and also of Tite's coaching staff, ”said Casemiro, Real Madrid midfielder and leading voice in this issue, after the victory over Ecuador.
The diagnosis is logical: the main protagonists feel like supporting actors in strong decisions.
Now they want to talk.
With more than 470,000 deaths and almost 17 million cases of coronavirus, the host of the Copa América is the country in Latin America hardest hit by the pandemic, the second in the world with the most deaths associated with Covid and the third with the most infected, behind from the United States and India.
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