Brazil invites 8 Premier League players despite being in UK’s travel red list

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The football association of Brazil has invited 8 Premier League players for the FIFA international break in October despite the coronavirus protocol in the United Kingdom.

The football association is hoping that the eight footballers who have been invited for the international break, would be exempted from the coronavirus protocol in the country.

Recall that Brazil is among the numerous countries that are on UK’s travel red list. This means that new arrivals into the country would have to quarantine at a government-designated hotel for 10 days before they would be allowed to socialize.

Hence, Premier League clubs have agreed that they would not release players that are from countries on the UK’s red list. This agreement is seen as a breach of the FIFA rule which mandated clubs to always release players for their national teams during FIFA breaks.

Players who are not released for national team duties according to FIFA rules, ought to be suspended for at least two club games.

Hence, when the Premier League clubs failed to release players last month, some South American countries on UK’s red list petitioned the clubs but FIFA decided not to take action.

Funny enough, Aston Villa and Tottenham decided to release their players for Argentina last month. The availability of the players contributed to the cancellation of the Brazil vs Argentina FIFA World Cup qualification game.

As it stands, it is left to see whether Liverpool would release Alisson and Fabinho to Brazil. Or whether Manchester City would release Ederson and Gabriel Jesus to the country.

Brazil invites 8 Premier League players despite being in UK's travel red list
Brazil’s Gabriel Jesus of Manchester City and Alisson of Liverpool.

Chelsea are expected to also release Thiago Silva, Manchester United are expected to release Fred, Leeds United are expected to release Raphinha, while Tottenham are expected to release Emerson Royal.

The players are expected to join up with Brazil’s national team ahead of the World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela, Colombia, and Uruguay in October.

Brazil national team coordinator, Juninho Paulista said: “We’ve had lots of positive meetings with Fifa, the Premier League, and the British government, and we trust that there will be a positive solution next week. That is why we have called them up.”

On the back and forth between Brazil and the Premier League clubs, the coach of Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp is urging for a way forward on the release of players to UK’s red list countries.

The German tactician said: “There must be a solution obviously because we cannot just leave it like this and say it’s not a problem. Yes, it is a problem.

“I’m pretty sure the relevant people are working on this. I know they’re working on this, but there’s nothing decided yet, at least as far as I’m concerned.

“We have a problem when the Brazilians are allowed, or when they go, to the next internationals.”

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