As featured on NewsNow: Football news

Argentina coach Scaloni defends Aston Villa, Spurs players after Brazil fiasco

Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has come out to defend his Premier League players after their World Cup qualifying match with Brazil was abandoned.

Brazilian health officials and police officers stormed on the pitch just ten minutes into the match to detain four players for defying local quarantine orders.

Those four players were Premier League players Emiliano Buendia, Emiliano Martinez, Giovanni Lo Celso and Cristian Romero

Government rules in Brazil state that any individuals entering the country from the UK are required to oversee a 14-day self-isolation period.

Scaloni said: "At no time were we notified that they could not play the match. We wanted to play the match, the Brazilian footballers [did] too.

"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.

"It makes me very sad, I am not looking for a culprit. If something happened or did not happen, it was not the time to make that intervention."

Video of the day:

About the author

Paul Vegas

×

Subscribe and go ad-free

For only $10 a year

  1. Go Ad-Free
  2. Faster site experience
  3. Support great writing
  4. Subscribe now
Launch Offer: 2 months free
×

Subscribe and go ad-free

For only $10 a year

Subscribe now
Launch Offer: 2 months free