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Brazil vs Argentina in Covid-19 chaos as local health chiefs stop game after six minutes to DEPORT Premier League stars
ARGENTINA’S World Cup qualifier in Brazil was sensationally called off after six minutes.
Health officials stormed the pitch to remove Spurs pair Giovani Lo Celso and Cristian Romero and Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez.
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The Argentine Premier League stars were accused of breaking Covid quarantine rules and falsifying documents to enter Brazil illegally.
Federal police also appeared within minutes of kick-off and last night tried to detain four Argentina players and deport them from the country.
Lo Celso, Romero, Martinez and his Villa team-mate Emiliano Buendia travelled to South America last week, despite Premier League orders to not travel for internationals in red-list countries.
Buendia was not playing in the match, which was halted for 52 minutes in Sao Paulo before South American Football Federation Conmebol confirmed the suspension.
A statement read: "By decision of the match referee, the match organized by Fifa between Brazil and Argentina for the World Cup Qualifiers is suspended.
"The referee and the match commissioner will submit a report to the Fifa Disciplinary Committee, which will determine the steps to be followed. These procedures strictly adhere to current regulations.
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"The World Cup Qualifiers is a Fifa competition. All decisions concerning its organisation and development are the exclusive power of that institution."
Under Brazilian rules visitors who have been in the UK in the 14 days before entering the country must quarantine for 14 days on arrival.
Reports claimed Brazil’s health regulator, Anvisa, were tipped off the four players did not state that information on their immigration forms and the details given were “false”.
The means they should have been isolating immediately on their arrival from Venezuela on Friday.
Before the qualifier, no action had been taken and the players travelled with the Argentine team from the hotel to the stadium.
Then chaos ensued. Argentina quickly walked off the pitch, while captain Lionel Messi remained on the pitch and held talks with Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Neymar and officials.
Messi was heard saying on television: “Why did they start the game and stop it after five minutes? We’ve been here at the stadium for an hour, they could have told us.”
Messi then returned to the dressing room before the match was officially suspended by the South American Football Confederation Conmebol almost an hour after the game kicked off, leaving Brazil, who were without their UK-based stars, to hold a squad training session.
Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni admitted: “It makes me very sad.
“I am not looking for any culprits. Whether or not something happened, it was not the time to make that intervention.
“It should have been a party for everyone, to enjoy the best players in the world. I would like the people of Argentina to understand that as a coach I have to defend my players.
“At no time were we notified that they could not play the match. We wanted to play the game, the players from Brazil too.”
Pre-match, Anvisa had released their own statement to state the four Premier League players must isolate immediately and could not take part in the match.
A statement read: “Anvisa considers the situation a serious health risk and so has asked the local health authorities to determine the immediate quarantine of the players, who are stopped from participating in any activity and should be prevented from remaining on Brazilian soil.”
Claudio Tapia, president of the Argentina Football Association, said: “What happened today is a very bad image.
“Four people entered to interrupt the game and Conmebol asked the players to go back to the dressing room.
“You cannot talk about any lie here because there is health legislation under which all South American tournaments are played. The health authorities of each country approved a protocol that we have been fully complying with.”
No date for the rearranged fixture has been set with Argentina players leaving to prepare for their next World Cup qualifier - at home to Bolivia on Friday.
Why did they start the game and stop it after five minutes? We've been here at the stadium for an hour, they could have told us.
Argentina captain Lionel Messi
Their opponents, meanwhile, remained at the stadium in Sao Paulo to play a training match - which was then showed live around the world.
Although the Prem stars may not be forced to quarantine in Brazil, they will have to when they return to the UK in the coming days.
Premier League chiefs refused to release South American stars for international duty because of the UK government's Covid rules.
Martinez, Romero, Lo Celso and Buendia will all need to quarantine for ten days on return - meaning they will miss the next two Prem games.
That's due to Argentina's final World Cup qualifier of the international break against Bolivia on Friday.
Aston Villa regulars Martinez and Buendia may only miss one game as it's thought they have an agreement in place to return before Friday.
But Tottenham favourites Romero and Lo Celso will miss THREE fixtures due to the team's Europa Conference League commitments.
Brazil were not happy the Argies were allowed to travel to South America for the games as their Prem stars did not make the journey.
The five-time World Cup winners asked for nine players from six clubs to be released - despite knowing the chaos it would cause.
Brazil boss Tite wanted to call-up Alisson, Fabinho, Roberto Firmino, Ederson, Gabriel Jesus, Thiago Silva, Fred, Raphinha and Richarlison.
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But their request was denied, although it meant little following Sunday night's incredible antics in Sao Paulo.
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Argentina leave stadium after match with Brazil suspended
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