Health officials halt ArgentinaBrazil qualifier

SAO PAULO >> Argentina’s World Cup qualifier in Brazil was interrupted after just seven minutes Sunday when local health officials went onto the pitch in a wild dispute over coronavirus concerns.

The match featuring Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Brazil’s Neymar was ultimately suspended by the referee with the score at 0-0.

Brazilian health officials alleged three Argentine players did not reveal on arrival last Friday that they had recently been in England, and should have been in quarantine rather than playing in the match.

The Argentina team responded by walking off the field at NeoQuimica Arena in Sao Paulo.

Argentina tweeted that the game would not resume. South American soccer’s governing body, CONMEBOL, said the match had been suspended. FIFA, the sport’s world governing body, also confirmed the game had been suspended and said it was yet to decide what to do next.

Antonio Barra Torres, the president of Brazil’s health agency, Anvisa, said four Argentina players would be fined and deported for not following Brazil’s COVID-19 protocols.

The four — all players from the England-based Premier League — had been ordered to quarantine by Brazil’s health agency ahead of the match. Despite that order, three of the four started for Argentina.

Aston Villa players Emiliano Martinez and Emiliano Buendia, and Tottenham duo Giovanni Lo Celso and Cristian Romero, traveled to play for Argentina despite the Premier League not wanting players to be released for international duty because of the need to quarantine for 10days in a hotel on their return. Now they have been caught up in Brazilian quarantine restrictions.