The police tore off the match of the prefabricated Argentina and Brazil. The Argentines tried to circumvent covid rules and avoid quarantine - as a result, they decided to deport them directly from the field

On the evening of September 5, the qualifying match of the 2022 World Cup between Brazil and Argentina was supposed to go to San Paulo. The games of these teams are traditionally considered as fundamental as possible - fans call them the South American classic. In addition, before the match, Brazil leaded in the qualifying tournament, and Argentina ranked second.

However, the game never took place. Before the match, the Brazilian authorities decided to deport four players of the Argentinean team. It was about the goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, the defender Christian Romero, as well as the midfielders Emiliano Buendia and Giovani Luo Chelso.

All four play in the English Premier League-and according to the Brazilian rules introduced from Kovid , all those who arrive from the UK should spend two weeks on quarantine. However, according to the Brazilian side, when crossing the border, the players assured that recently they were not in England. In fact, this is not the case: on August 28, Martinez and Buendia played for the Birmingham Aston Villa, and Romero and Luo Chelso were in the reserve of the London Tottenham.

“After the passports of the four players, it was found that the athletes violated the rules for entering Brazil. The mentioned football players said they were not in forbidden countries in the last 14 days. After that, we received an unofficial message that they had lied. Our agency considers the situation as a serious risk of health. And instructed local medical officials to apply immediate quarantine measures to players. Football players are forbidden to participate in any events in Brazil and even be in the country, ”the National Agency for Observation of the Health of Brazil emphasized .

After the authorities decided to deport, the police were sent for the players. First - to the hotel where the Argentine team stopped. But there were no more players: the players left for the stadium.

Moreover, Romero, Luo Chelso and Martinez managed to enter the field in the starting lineup of the Argentines. The match began, but already at the sixth minute a brawl began at the edge of the field. The judge stopped the match. Police and officials entered the lawn, the players tried to detain the players.

After that, the Argentina team went to the locker room. Of the players, only Captain Lionel Messi remained on the field - after stopping the match, he took off his T -shirt, but then pulled the photographer’s shirt and began to negotiate with officials and representatives of the Brazilian national team.

“Listen, we are in the country for three days. Why did you wait for the start of the game, and did not come before? We were told that we could play, and then waited for the match to start all this, ”Messi said .

After long, but unsuccessful negotiations, both Messi, and the Argentines coach Lionel Skaloni (he also insisted on the innocence of his players) also left the field. They were supported by the head of the Argentinean football Association Claudio Tapiy: “There can be no talk of any lies, because all tournaments in South America are held according to a single sanitary regulation. Healthcare bodies of each country approved a protocol to which we were impeccably followed. ” At the same time, journalists reported : the players of the Argentine national team playing in England have already admitted to the team that they lied at the border.

The Argentines were taken from the stadium to San Paulo, accompanied by the police. The team has already flew out of Brazil. The match is still considered transferred. It is finally unknown when it continues and whether it continues at all. Perhaps one of the teams threatens a technical defeat.

The Argentine media and fans are sure : what happened into the hands of Brazil. The fact is that the Brazilians were forced to reach the match in a weakened composition-and also because of anti-icing rules. British clubs simply did not let the Brazilian players into the national team due to the fact that the country on the Red List of Great Britain-after returning from Brazil, there is a forced quarantine in a specially reserved hotel. As a result, Brazil lost many stars - for example, goalkeepers of Alison and Ederson, as well as attackers of Gabriel Zhezus and Richarlison.

Moreover, this story is connected with Russia. For the same reasons, the St. Petersburg Zenit with the Brazil of the midfielders of the Malkom and Claudino from the Brazilian. If the club had not taken this step, they could not go on the field in the Champions League match with Chelsea London. It will be held in England on September 14th.

Pavel Merzlikin