The Brazilian nationwide crew will play in the Copa America, media stories mentioned Monday, ending rumors they might boycott the event, which is being organized on their house soil in a last-minute, pandemic-defying rush.
Brazil’s gamers had been reportedly sad over the Eleventh-hour resolution to host the South American championships after a Covid-19 surge pressured organizers to withdraw the event from Argentina.
However, as an alternative of a boycott, they may make their grievances identified in a joint assertion Tuesday night time after their World Cup qualifier in opposition to Paraguay, reported main media group Globo’s sports activities website, globoesporte.com.
Organizers have been struggling to pull off this version of the Copa America, the world’s oldest operating worldwide soccer event, scheduled from June 13 to July 10.
Original co-hosts Argentina and Colombia fell by way of over pandemic issues in the previous and anti-government unrest in the latter.
Neymar and crew — in addition to coach Tite — had been reportedly caught off guard by information the event can be held in Brazil, which is itself reeling from the pandemic, with the second-highest loss of life toll worldwide.
Tite mentioned Thursday the gamers had requested for a gathering over the matter with Brazil’s prime soccer official, Rogerio Caboclo, head of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF).
Media stories mentioned the encounter had been notably stormy.
However, pressure reportedly subsided considerably after the CBF introduced Sunday that Caboclo had been suspended for 30 days following allegations in opposition to him of sexually harassing a CBF worker.
Caboclo, 48, denies wrongdoing.
But the choice successfully sidelines him from Copa America preparations.
Hosting the Copa America has grow to be a divisive, politically loaded affair for Brazil, which has recorded greater than 470,000 Covid-19 deaths, second solely to the United States.
Far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who has often defied professional recommendation on containing the pandemic, gave his blessing to host the event.
Rumors the Selecao would boycott had Bolsonaro supporters attacking Tite as a “leftist” on social media.
A Globo journalist reported Caboclo had even promised Bolsonaro to fire Tite and replace him with a coach more closely aligned with the president.
Tite, who has been in the post since 2016, has a flawless record in the current World Cup qualifying campaign, with five wins in five matches.
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