Brazil and Argentina ordered to replay COVID-hit game

FIFA handed out fines and suspensions on Monday while ordering Brazil and Argentina to replay the World Cup qualifier that was abandoned after health agents stormed the field in Sao Paulo to dispute the quarantine status of players.

Four of Argentina's English Premier League players were accused of falsifying Brazilian coronavirus declarations in September by not stating they had been in red-listed Britain during the previous 14 days, leading to the game being stopped after seven minutes.

Emiliano Buendia, Emiliano Martinez, Giovani Lo Celso and Cristian Romero will serve two-match bans in FIFA fixtures after "not complying with the FIFA Return to Football International Match Protocol," the world governing body said in a disciplinary ruling.

FIFA ordered the Brazilian Football Association to pay a fine of 550,000 Swiss francs (about $600,000) for "infringements related to order and security," and over the abandonment.

The Argentinian Football Association was fined 250,000 Swiss francs ($270,000) for failing to "comply with its obligations in relation to order and security, the preparation of and its participation in the match", and the abandonment.

AFA President Chiqui Tapia tweeted that the Argentines planned to appeal the ruling.

Brazil's soccer confederation said in a statement it disagrees with the decision, questions FIFA about its foundations and will later decide whether to take action on the case.

FIFA has not set a date or location for the game to be played again. Brazil and Argentina have already sealed a place at the World Cup in Qatar in November ahead of the scheduled conclusion of CONMEBOL qualifying in March, when both teams have another two games to play.

Brazil leads the 10-team round-robin competition with 39 points, four more than Argentina.

The Brazil-Argentina game could take place with domestic-based players, rather than those at clubs in Europe, to stage it outside of the usual window for internationals.

The original game was tied at 0-0 when it was stopped.

There were questions over why the Brazilian officials from the Anvisa agency waited until during the game on Sept 5 to intervene.

Government body Anvisa said at the time that the CBF and AFA coordinated to stop its agents from carrying their decision for days, adding its officials did not seek to suspend the match, only to remove the Argentinian players that had allegedly falsified their coronavirus declarations.

The Argentina squad arrived in Brazil two days earlier from Caracas, where they'd beaten Venezuela 3-1 the previous night. Investigations centered on whether－as Brazil's health agency alleged－the quartet of players did not tell immigration officers they had been in Britain within the previous two weeks.

A Sao Paulo state health secretariat document obtained by The Associated Press says the organization received the first rumors about players giving false information to enter the country just before midnight, about 15 hours after they left the airport.

Anvisa first informed Brazilian and Argentine soccer officials on the Saturday morning that the players had apparently provided false information on their arrival in Brazil. A separate Brazilian health ministry document obtained by AP showed that among the requests for quarantine exemption for the players, the final one was denied 51 minutes before kickoff.

Despite media coverage questioning how the players were free to play, the game started with Lo Celso, Romero and Martinez in action until it was halted after seven minutes and it never resumed. Buendia didn't play.

"The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has concluded that the abandonment of the match stemmed from several deficiencies of the parties involved towards their respective responsibilities and/or obligations in connection with the former," the governing body said.

Agencies via Xinhua