FIFA announced on Monday that Brazil-Argentina qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which were interrupted last September for violating anti-coronavirus protocols, will have to be replayed. The agency’s disciplinary committee fined Brazil 550,000 Swiss francs (525,000 euros) and Argentina 250,000 Swiss francs (238,000 euros).
The case angered both teams. On Monday, February 15, FIFA announced that the Brazil-Argentina qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup, which were interrupted by a health scandal, would have to be replayed, with several Argentine players suspended for two matches and players fined. Two countries have already qualified for Qatar.
The Argentine Football Federation, through its president Claudio Tapia, immediately announced on Twitter its desire to appeal the decision. In a press release, the Brazilian Football Federation also expressed “disagreement”.
as president @afalet me compromise in all los esfuerzos necesarios, y apelar el fallo de FIFA en referencia al partido de eliminatorias con Brasil.
Our priority is to choose @Argentina Simpre ??— Chiqui Tapia (@tapiachiqui) February 14, 2022
The match, originally scheduled for September 5 in Sao Paulo, was interrupted after just five minutes following the intervention of Brazilian health authorities when four Argentine players in England were charged with anti-Covid-19 violations protocol.
Representatives from the Anvisa health agency and the federal police entered the scene to end the meeting in complete confusion.
“The Disciplinary Committee has decided to replay the match on a date and place to be determined by FIFA,” FIFA wrote in a press release.
Qualified despite everything guaranteed
The final suspension of the match did not stop Neymar’s Brazil and Lionel Messi’s Argentina from subsequently winning tickets to the 2022 World Cup (November 21-December 18) in Qatar, without Awaiting the decision of the Disciplinary Committee.
So there should be no accounting issues with the final tournament holding this poster, other than the fact that the calendar for the single South American pool is eventually closed.
The FIFA Disciplinary Committee noted “several irregularities” by the federations and also fined Brazil 550,000 Swiss francs (525,000 euros) and Argentina 250,000 Swiss francs (238,000 euros).
Finally, the four Argentine players Giovanni Lo Celso (then at Tottenham, now at Villarreal), Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Emiliano Buendia (Aston Villa) and Christian Romero (Tottenham) were suspended for two matches.
They have been accused by Brazilian health authorities of providing “false information” on arrival in the country and violating a ministerial order banning any foreigner who has remained in the UK for the past two weeks from entering Brazil.
Brazil leads ahead of the final two days of South American qualifying (39 points) scheduled for the end of March and four points ahead of Argentina (35). The two countries have secured one of the first four qualifying spots and have validated their tickets for the 2022 World Cup.
with AFP