Five minutes from Brazil and Argentina, last Sunday in Sao Paulo, delegates from the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) and agents from the Brazilian Federal Police entered the field to deport four Argentine players who failed to be in Brazil when they entered Brazil. In the past 14 days in the UK, where they already live and play, violating pandemic protocols. Martinez, Lo Celso and Romero were on the field, Buendia on the podium. The question remained – with the Brazilian national team for several days, was it really necessary to go and bring them to the pitch?

Anvisa director, Alex Machado Campos, said yes. According to Machado Campos, the staff were already “embarrassed” on the field, just before the start of the match, and were prevented from notifying the athletes directly.

“We arrived an hour before the match started. If the players had come to Anvisa… the correct word would be embarrassment. They would move from room to room, always waiting. The idea was to isolate the players, who have made repeated acts of non-compliance with Brazilian legislation, and move them To the airport, where they will also be quarantined. We have done this in other situations: people who come to Guarulhos [aeroporto] We are isolated in a restricted area,” he explained in an interview with the Brazilian channel SporTV.

FIFA opened an investigation and informed the two federations and CONMEBOL.