Who is in favor, who is against: understand the debate on the return of Brazilian football amid the pandemic | spectacular sport

GloboEsporte.com consulted the 27 federations and 27 state health departments. Responses vary in some respects, but they all have one thing in common: No state is able to guarantee a game, even without fans, on the date CBF mentioned during a meeting with federations and clubs last week. Most are against declaring a date for the return of football. See the complete table at the end of this article.

The update from the Ministry of Health at the end of this Saturday presented the following numbers: 96,559 cases across the country, 6,750 deaths. Next, the situation in each state.

The diffuse nature of the spread of the new coronavirus, the different effects in each region of Brazil, and the different way each state reacts make it virtually impossible to structure a uniform response to the problem. On the contrary: confusion only helps to further postpone decision-making.

+ Bolsonaro defends the return of soccer and says that the possibility that the players die from Covid-19 is infinitely small

This weekend, from May 2 to 3, the Brazilian Championship must begin. The CBF and the federations agreed that the state must end earlier, precisely because they are tournaments that require fewer trips and require virtually no air travel.

Brasilia wants, much of Brazil resists

Last Thursday night, GloboEsporte.com revealed a letter sent by the Ministry of Health to the clubs and the CBF. It was a response to a request from the confederation for the ministry to evaluate a medical protocol for the return of activities. The ministry’s document makes it clear, in its conclusion, that it supports the return of football.

The Health Ministry says it is in favor of the return of football, but warns of the “saturation” of rapid tests.

– Recognizing that soccer is a relevant sports activity in the Brazilian context and that its resumption can contribute to measures to reduce social displacement through the transmission of games at home, this Ministry of Health is favorable to the return of Brazilian soccer activities , since all the measures presented in this opinion are complied with.

However, in other parts of the document, the ministry makes reservations and says it cannot make this decision, which is up to the states and municipalities. And it is precisely the states and municipalities that are most resistant to taking any measure that could accelerate the return of football.

After the positive response with reservations from the ministry, CBF Secretary General Walter Feldman stated that the entity consulted with doctors and further guided the return of activities to prepare the environment for when there is the possibility of returning to the games. They properly set a date for the state reset.

– At that time, the resumption is in terms of training. And we believe that if we train from the beginning of May, after 15 days, the athletes and the technical commissions will be prepared for the return to the competitions. But this will depend on the evolution of the epidemic and the dynamics of the training process itself, so it is too early to announce a return date for state competitions.

Feldman added that the CBF hopes to complete the state championships and then begin the national championships, which can run until early 2021.

Last Friday, the mayor of São Paulo, Bruno Covas, warned that he will tighten social isolation measures. The previous day, Belo Horizonte Mayor Alexandre Kalil told ESPN that “thinking about football now is somewhat weak.” Also on Thursday, the mayor of Rio, Marcelo Crivella, extended the measures of social isolation in the city. until May 15.

Virologist Amilcar Tanure, from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, considers that a possible return of soccer will be precipitated at a time when the pandemic has not yet reached its peak in Brazil and causes hundreds of deaths daily.

– Even if they play in empty stadiums, they will have to train, go to the locker room, bathe … All this increases the chances of transmission of the virus. My question is: why expose these people to the risk of becoming infected and some have severe cases of the disease? Wasn’t it better to wait a little? I think the idea is very risky, “said Tanure.

The state of São Paulo had the first confirmed case, the first death and the highest number of infected people. The state government enacted social isolation measures until May 10, next Sunday. Governor João Dória will announce the next steps next Friday (8). But the rising death toll and the specific situation in the capital make it even more difficult to make predictions about the return of football.

This Monday (May 4), the São Paulo Football Federation, the clubs and the infectologist David Uip will meet again by videoconference to try to develop a protocol of sanitary security measures for the return to training. In previous meetings with club doctors, Uip gave two messages that discouraged the most hopeful leaders with a quick return to competitions in São Paulo.

1) Available tests are not reliable

The idea of ​​forming a “soccer bubble” was practically defeated, testing everyone involved in games and, through the negative results, speeding up games. Simply because the available tests are not reliable or do not produce results at the speed that soccer requires.

2) The virus will spread within

The capital, São Paulo, is the city most affected by the pandemic, concentrating the highest number of infected and dead. But state government estimates indicate that the virus will spread rapidly throughout the interior, which does not have a network of hospitals as large as that of the capital.

These two alerts served to cancel plans to take all teams to an inland city and there to finish the remaining six rounds for the Series A1 Paulista Championship: two from the group stage and four more from the knockout stage. .

In São Paulo, the four big clubs say they are in tune: the idea of ​​Santos, Palmeiras, Corinthians and São Paulo, according to officials, is to advance in what is now possible to be ready when it is possible to return. What they don’t want, they say, is to be surprised by a decision and then waste time adjusting to it.

In Rio, for example, Flamengo and Vasco are more in a hurry to return, while Fluminense and Botafogo are more cautious. These disagreements between clubs also appear in other states.

What do soccer professionals say?

In the midst of football, there are still few who publicly criticize the position of President Jair Bolsonaro. But whoever positions himself does so emphatically. Like Paulo Autuori, coach of Botafogo, who stated the following in an interview with Esporte Espetacular:

– It seems silly to talk about the return of the football teams right now. Lack of respect before so many deaths and sufferings. It shows a worrying lack of knowledge of those responsible for this measure about the complex routine of soccer training. Lack of concern and respect for professionals, especially the most sacrificed, who are neither players nor members of the coaching staff. Professionals deserve respect. Do you want me to give you back the football? And that? Sorry

The former president of Botafogo and current member of the club’s soccer management committee, Carlos Augusto Montenegro, is aligned with Autuori. In an interview with “Canal do TF”, the leader said that he considers that Alvinegro does not enter the field and loses the points of the games if there is a hasty return to the pitch.

– If the CBF, the Ministry of Health, the Federation press to start training in this situation, in which all the coaches say it can get worse, Botafogo will not play. (…) This is stupid, man. “Ah, you will lose a point.” We miss point. Every point we lose will be a life saved.

Raí, São Paulo’s soccer director, made a similar criticism in an interview with GloboEsporte.com and considered that the president’s position was “disorderly”.

International President Marcelo Medeiros, on the other hand, gave statements to the contrary. In an interview with Rádio Guaíba on Friday, the director stated:

– The player who does not want to play resigns. If the possibility of football returning opens, it will fulfill the contract that it signed.

In view of the negative repercussions of the statement, Marcelo Medeiros softened the speech and said that the return to the pitch will only occur “if the authorities authorize it.” Inter and Grêmio are the first clubs to train again, which should happen this Monday, as authorized by the city of Porto Alegre.

Last week, when the collective vacation period granted by most clubs and federations ended, a wave of layoffs and pay cuts began that reached even the most financially structured clubs, such as Flamengo and Palmeiras.

So there are a lot of people in the middle who can’t wait for the ball to roll again. For the most diverse reasons, mainly financial, there are a large number of players, coaches and club and federation officials interested in the immediate return of games and competitions.

+ The salary cut during the pandemic has reached 16 Serie A clubs; see the measurements of each

Among smaller club players, with a schedule threatened by the risk that state players won’t complete, the idea of ​​returning to training and games has more support. At the other extreme, especially among athletes with recent periods in Europe, it is more common to advocate postponement of training and games.

Fenapaf (National Federation of Professional Soccer Athletes) has no position on the resumption of soccer.

See the situation of each state (numbers from the last update of the Ministry of Health)

• Gaúcha Federation awaits authorization from the Ministry of Health
• Tuesday’s meeting (May 5) with the governor will address the issue.
• When Porto Alegre launched, Grêmio and Inter return to training on Monday (May 4)
• The state has 1,619 cases and 62 deaths

• The Federation of Santa Catarina wanted the games on May 16.
• The State Health Secretariat vetoed and did not set a date
• 2,346 cases and 52 deaths

• The Paraná Federation wanted the games on May 16.
• The State Department of Health did not set a date for the return of soccer
• 1,492 cases and 90 deaths

• Federation of São Paulo awaits authorization from the Department of Health
• Meeting scheduled for Monday (May 4) to address the issue
• The State Department of Health does not set a date for the return of football
• 31,174 cases and 2,586 deaths

• The Federation of Minas Gerais awaits authorization from the Department of Health, and the president says the optimistic forecast is for the end of June.
• The State Department of Health officially did not set a date
• 2,023 cases and 88 deaths

• Federation of Capixaba awaits authorization from the Department of Health
• The State Department of Health pointed out that the return of soccer is related to the return of classes, not yet dated.
• 2,985 cases and 103 deaths

• Federation of Rio de Janeiro awaits authorization from the Department of Health
• Isolation decree extended until May 11. In the capital, until May 15.
• 10,546 cases and 971 deaths

• Clubs postponed forwarding to May 11, but must postpone again
• The State Health Secretariat did not set a date
• 825 cases and 30 deaths

• Federation awaits release of state health department
• The State Health Secretariat decreed isolation until May 11
• 1,566 cases and 31 deaths

• Federation awaits release of the Department of Health
• The State Health Secretariat did not set a date
• 266 cases and 9 deaths

• Only Cuiabá announced the return of the players for Monday (day 4)
• The state government quarantine decree is still in effect
• 331 cases and 12 deaths

• Maranhense Federation considers it impossible to return to the championship in May
• The State Department of Health does not foresee a date for the return of soccer
• 3,805 cases and 224 deaths

• The Piauiense Federation only considers resuming the championship after the release of the Secretary of Health
• The State Health Secretariat extended social isolation until May 21
• 665 cases and 26 deaths

• Federation of Ceará awaits authorization from the Department of Health
• The State Department of Health does not foresee a date for the return of soccer
• Social isolation is enacted until May 5 and will be expanded
• 8,309 cases and 638 deaths

• The Federation of Pernambucana is against the return on the 17th and does not set a date
• The State Department of Health does not foresee a date for the return of soccer
• 8,145 cases and 628 deaths

• The Federation of Alagoas does not set a date for the return of the games.
• The State Department of Health is against the resumption and does not set a date for the return of football
• 1,372 cases and 58 deaths

• The Federation of Bays considers that it is impossible to return on May 17
• The state government extended the soccer ban until May 18
• 3,315 cases and 123 deaths

• The Federation of Paraiba awaits the release of the Department of Health
• The state government extended social isolation until May 18
• The State Department of Health does not foresee a return date for soccer
• 1,034 cases and 74 deaths

• The Federation intends to return to the state in the second half of June
• The clubs want to resume training for the second week of May
• The government has not yet given its approval for the clubs to return.
• 601 cases and 14 deaths

• No date for state return
• Trainings only return with authorization from the authority
• Government decree runs until May 5
• 1,366 cases and 59 deaths

• The Pará Federation is against the championship in May
• The state government considers taking more drastic measures of social isolation
• 3,460 cases and 273 deaths

• The Rondonian Championship will only resume in November.
• 653 cases and 23 deaths

• The government decree only admits the possible return of football after May 31
• 553 cases and 22 deaths

• The federation maintains indefinite detention. Return of football only in the second half, predicts FAF
• Clubs meet in June to assess return in August
• 1,187 cases and 40 deaths

• Federation decided to close state competition
• 6,062 cases and 501 deaths

• The Federation waits for CBF without predicting the return of the games.
• 191 cases and 4 deaths

• Federation did not comment on the return of football
• The Department of Health says that it does not recommend the return of football and says that this will only be possible after stabilizing the curve of infected cases.
• 668 cases and 9 deaths

* Collaboration with Gabriel Duarte, Guilherme Macedo, Sidney Magno Novo, Lucas Bubols, Robson Boamorte, Fernando Araújo, Fernando Vasconcelos, João Pedro Godoy, Daniel Borges, Marcelo Cardoso, Silvio Lima, Duaine Rodrigues, Ivonisio Lacerda, Lucas Luckezie, Rodrigo Juarez, Pedro Cruz, Tamires Fukutani, Thiago Barbosa, Víctor Mélo, Elton de Castro, Expedito Madruga, Augusto César Gomes, Thaís Jorge, Renan Morais and Matheus Sampaio.