The CONMEBOL Copa América, the oldest national team tournament in the world, starts today with the match between Brazil and Venezuela. For a month, millions of South Americans will live with joy and enthusiasm a sports competition of the highest level.
On this opening day, and given the dissemination of unfounded questions and that have unclear motivations for CONMEBOL, it is necessary to make clear the pillars on which the organization of the CONMEBOL Copa América 2021 is based:
Responsibility
CONMEBOL is fully aware of the situation facing the continent in the context of the pandemic. In the same way, it recognizes the importance that soccer has in South American culture and the role it has played in the physical, mental and spiritual health of the population since the beginning of the pandemic. For this reason, with the assistance of a panel of experts and in close coordination with the health authorities of the 10 countries, it designed and successfully applied rigorous health measures and actions in all its tournaments.
These measures are highly effective, easily verifiable with statistics. More than 99% of tens of thousands of coronavirus tests have been negative in the last ten months.
The health bubble to which the delegations are subjected means minimizing contact with the outside world, carrying out tests 48 hours before each game for all the people involved in the games and the transfer of delegations on charter flights.
CONMEBOL is also the only confederation in the world that carries out a massive vaccination of players, technicians, referees and assistants.
Professionalism
The decision to hold the Copa América in Brazil is neither capricious nor improvised. In Brazil, national, state and local tournaments are under development, as well as the international competitions of CONMEBOL and the World Cup Qualifiers. International competitions of other sports disciplines are also in progress. CONMEBOL agreed with the Brazilian government that this country host the Cup due to the above and the fact that the last competition was held there in 2019, which greatly facilitates the organization. As Argentina and Colombia are disqualified as venues, the protocol of the National Team Competitions Directorate of CONMEBOL prescribes the venue of the previous tournament as the first alternative.
The CONMEBOL Copa América 2021 was not done “in a hurry”, which would be impossible. The tournament has been intensively organized for more than a year, with the mobilization of significant financial, human and technical resources throughout the continent. Each year CONMEBOL organizes a large number of international tournaments for clubs and national teams, field soccer, futsal, beach soccer, in different categories, in the men’s and women’s modalities. It has a professional team with extensive experience and proven solvency in the design and implementation of high-quality competitions. Professionalism is precisely the ability to face and quickly and effectively solve the challenges imposed by a changing reality.
Sport goal
The CONMEBOL Copa América 2021 has a clear sporting purpose: that the national teams of South America reach the 2022 World Cup with shooting and good physical and technical preparation, through a highly demanding tournament. CONMEBOL modified the competition calendar to achieve the match between the Copa América and the Eurocup. The goal of lining up both tournaments is to minimize physical and mental wear and tear on the players. The players themselves, the clubs and the national teams benefit from this. And, fundamental element, the South American and European athletes will arrive at the World Cup in conditions of equality.
CONMEBOL took into account some unobjectionable facts. No South American team reached the semi-finals at Russia 2018 and it has been 20 years since South America has won the World Cup. Until 2002, our continent surpassed Europe in number of world titles. Today the relationship is inverse. The sporting benefit that the Copa América will have on national teams across the continent for next year’s World Cup event is evident.
South American football is passion, it is dedication, it is daring. It does not shrink against any rival. And the New CONMEBOL is in the same line: it does not shrink from the challenges that arise, whatever their difficulty, because ALWAYS BELIEVE BIG.
CONMEBOL.com
