Argentina and Chile's national football team coaches on Wednesday hit out at the decision to play the Copa América in coronavirus-wracked Brazil, as they prepare for a World Cup qualifier before the South American extravaganza begins.
Argentina, who entertain Chile on Thursday in Santiago del Estero, were due to host the Copa alongside Colombia but last month both countries were stripped of the right by South American football's governing body CONMEBOL.
Instead, less than two weeks before the tournament kicks off, Brazil were announced as the new hosts last Sunday.
"If we have to go, we'll go and play and try to make the Copa the best it can be," said Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni. "But there are still a lot of uncertainties about accommodation. Honestly, it's alarming and worrying. Brazil is not the best place."
South America is currently the worst-affected region in the world by the pandemic and is home to the six countries currently experiencing the highest relative global Covid-19 death rates.
"Argentina was pulled out due to logical health reasons, as Colombia was pulled out, and it will surely be a very difficult situation to digest," said Scaloni.
Yet before the Copa América kicks off on June 13, at a venue yet to be decided, there will be two full rounds of South American World Cup qualifying involving all 10 member federations of CONMEBOL hosting a match.
But the prospect of bringing those teams to a single location with players arriving from their clubs around the world has left many questioning the wisdom of pushing ahead with the Copa.
"It seems like a huge, giant risk to me, because for me health comes first, a long way ahead" of everything else, said Chile's Uruguayan coach Martín Lasarte.
With more than 465,000 Covid deaths, Brazil is second only to the United States, while its 16.5 million infections is the third highest in the world.
Argentina, by contrast, has recorded 78,000 deaths and 3.8 million cases, although its population is just over a fifth of the size of Brazil's.
Two of Scaloni's players – goalkeeper Franco Armani and full-back Gonzalo Montiel from River Plate – did not travel to the game, around 1,000 kilometres north of Buenos Aires, having contracted the coronavirus.
Veteran Chile midfielder Arturo Vidal did not even travel to Argentina as he is receiving treatment for Covid in hospital in the Chilean capital Santiago.
Argentina are currently second in the single South American qualifying group after four games, two points behind Brazil, the only side with a perfect record.
Chile are down in sixth having won only one match so far.
– TIMES/AFP
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