The entity ensures a possible adjustment of the "Safe Game" protocol - prepared by the Rio de Janeiro Football Federation (Ferj) - to the text produced by the Health Surveillance. "There are games scheduled for June 24, and this was mentioned by the mayor himself, who said he believed in the adjustment of protocols of the municipal Health Surveillance and that of Ferj until that date, which should ensure games on this date," said the agency to then complement: "As soon as the protocols are adjusted, the games can take place. Any formalization, if necessary, will be done by the City Hall."
Betting houses consulted by GMB admit that so many changes only complicate the seriousness of the final product that the bettor is offered. The confirmation and then cancellation of matches with so little time in advance keep users away from those leagues and lead them to play on safer grounds like European championships where they risk less and have greater predictability to play. Although it is always clarified that the responsibility does not lie with the site but with the organizers of the competition, sudden suspensions do not benefit anyone.
The City Hall also reiterated that the games that are suspended are Botafogo x Cabofriense and Fluminense x Volta Redonda, both scheduled for tonight (22): "The matches that will not be played will only be those of the first days of the adjustments protocols, therefore, those of Botafogo and Fluminense against their opponents at home."
Finally, the agency did not show any type of insecurity regarding an impasse between the Health Surveillance and Ferj: "If the question concerns the Ferj protocol, this will be resolved in a meeting between the federation and the municipal Health Surveillance. The City Hall does not believe there will be any impasse.”
In the document published by Ferj last night, there is an excerpt that allows the fourth round to be brought forward by home team if some prerequisites are met: "The club that play at home that wishes to do so may anticipate its game if all procedures are met (...) and there is an understanding with the broadcaster rights holder."
UOL Esporte contacted clubs yesterday to find out if they feel legally safe from entering the field on Wednesday even though they are aware that, taking the Official Gazette literally, they may be breaking the decree. Vasco, in the person of President Alexandre Campello, informed by text message that the situation will be analyzed today (22): "We will evaluate this issue."
Flamengo's legal counsel did not respond to the questions in the report, and the club's press office was also trying to obtain clarification from the legal department, but until the publishing of the report there was no answer.
Macaé, Vasco's opponent, prefers not to comment on the case after all the confusion of dates that has been established in recent days. Boavista, Flamengo's opponent, in turn, did not answer the press contacts.
All the confusion started yesterday afternoon (20) when Crivella issued a decree in the Official Gazette suspending all sports competitions until the 25th. As soon as such publication was made, Vasco and Ferj began to study the possibility of transferring the match to the municipality of Saquarema (RJ). That was when a second decree appeared, with a correction that indicated that such measures were only valid for the games of Botafogo and Fluminense.
A board resolution signed yesterday (21) by the director of the competition department of the Rio de Janeiro Football Federation (Ferj), Marcelo Vianna, suspends the 4th and 5th round of the Rio Cup. With that, the games between Vasco and Macaé, and Madureira and Resende, previously postponed to this Wednesday (24th), again changed the date. In addition, Flamengo and Boavista, who would also play on the same day, were affected by the change.
Source: GMB
