FOOTBALL TAKES
A BACKSEAT
With matches cancelled, the continent faces a period of great upheaval
with worries over money and climate adding to an uncertain future
GLOBAL SHUTDOWN
South America
W
O
RD
S^
Ti
m
V
ick
er
y
T
he Copa Libertadores certainly
went out with a bang. The last
match before the coronavirus
suspension was Brazil’s fiercest
derby, the Porto Alegre clash between
Gremio and Internacional. There were no
goals, but there were eight sendings off,
and earlier that evening the competition
itself was shown the red card.
When the suspension was announced
the immediate reaction of some was that
it was an overreaction. Opinions, however,
changed quickly.
There had not been a spare seat in the
house when Gremio hosted Internacional
on the Thursday, and all had seemed
completely normal. But when Gremio
took the field again three days later it was
for a game taking place behind closed
doors and with the team playing under
protest. Gremio lined up for the team
photo wearing masks to make the point
that, as players, they were being exposed
to unnecessary risks. Within a couple of
Safety first..Gremio players
take no chances ahead of the
game against Sao Luiz