Brazil ends its bid for 2023 WWC

Brazil has withdrawn its candidacy to host the 2023 Women’s World Cup, with the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) saying the government did not consider it wise to offer financial guarantees in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Because of the fiscal and economic austerity brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, (the government) thought it would not be recommended to right now sign the guarantees asked for by FIFA,” the CBF said in a statement on Monday.

Brazil has hosted a string of international sporting competitions in recent years — including the World Cup in 2014, the Olympic Games in 2016 and the Copa America in 2019 — and the CBF also felt they were outsiders to host yet another major event.

Brazil’s withdrawal means Colombia, Japan and a joint bid from Australia and New Zealand are the remaining contenders to host the event.

SERIE A LOOKS AHEAD

Italy’s football federation (FIGC) decided on Monday to use an algorithm to calculate final rankings in the top-flight Serie A soccer championship if a new surge in COVID-19 cases made it impossible to complete the season.

Serie A, which was suspended on March 9, is due to resume on June 20 and finish on Aug. 2.

Italy has gradually eased restrictions since early May, with new cases and deaths falling across the country. However, there is still a fear infections may pick up, stopping football again.

In the case of a new suspension, the FIGC would aim to set final league positions through a playoff system, without rescheduling the 12 rounds of matches remaining, although the exact details have not yet been decided.

If this proved impossible because the government banned all matches, the FIGC general council agreed to use a highly contentious algorithm based on teams’ home and away results.