Argentine Football Association President comments on the suspended game between Argentina and Brazil

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Argentina s Nicolas Otamendi, right, Argentina s Giovani Lo Celso, center, and Argentina s goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez walk off the field as the game against Brazil is interrupted by health authorities during a qualifying soccer match for the FIFA World Cup, WM, Weltmeisterschaft, Fussball Qatar 2022 at Neo Quimica Arena stadium in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sunday, Sept.5, 2021. Argentina walked off the field Sunday after only seven minutes of its World Cup qualifier against host Brazil after health officials came onto the pitch following coronavirus concerns about three Argentina players. AP Photo/Andre Penner PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xAndrexPennerx 62223520

Argentina and Brazil were six minutes into their match before a Brazilian health official stopped the fixture, which would be suspended. 

This stoppage is due to Argentina having four players who came from England in Giovani Lo Celso, Cristian Romero, Emi Buendia, and Emiliano Martinez. In Brazil, England is on their red list regarding the pandemic, and any person entering the country needs to quarantine.

Following the suspension, the president of the Argentine Football Association, Claudio Tapia, spoke to the media, where AS relayed his comments. The first question he answered is his initial thoughts on the events and whether Argentina breached any protocols.

“It really seems to me that you can’t talk about any lie or anything. There is a health legislation where all FIFA and Libertadores Date tournaments are played, Sudamericana where all the organizations approve a protocol, we brought a charter caring for all Argentines, that they return to their clubs in the best way,” Tapia said.

Tapia would comment on the entire event and whether it’s an embarrassing moment for the game considering these issues could’ve been avoided.

“Today we experienced what was experienced, which is unfortunate for football, it is a very bad image, four people without a chinstrap entering, interrupting the game that they wanted to notify about something that we do not know what it is,” Tapia said.

There are no further details as to when Brazil and Argentina will continue this game or if it will have a makeup schedule in the future from now until when the qualifying fixtures are done.

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