FIFA clears South American players to play in the Premier League this weekend
Players belonging to Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Mexico will be able to field their players after doubts emerged over their availability this week. The news will come as a relief to the Premier League managers of top clubs who had spoken out against the issue during their Friday press conferences.
Premier League clubs including Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Chelsea will be able to play their South American and Mexican international players in league action for this weekend's fixtures. Following detailed talks with FIFA, the Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Mexico Football Associations have agreed to lift their five-day restriction which would have prevented several clubs from selecting their stars in the latest gameweek of domestic matches.
The row between the Premier League clubs and the federations of the national teams came to blows as the clubs decided to unanimously stop players from representing their country in the latest round of international fixtures if it meant travelling to a red-listed country. FIFA held unsuccessful talks with the UK government to allow quarantine exemptions for players returning from international duty. The current rules dictate that anyone who enters the country would have to undergo a 10-day mandatory period of quarantine.
The Brazilian, Chilean, Paraguayan, and Mexican federations enforced a five-day rule backed by FIFA to protect international teams from unnecessary club interventions as a response to the decision of the PL clubs. Jurgen Klopp, Ole Gunnar Soskjaer, and Pep Guardiola berated the directive and called upon FIFA to do the right thing and allow the players to play. FIFA has now confirmed that players will be allowed to represent their clubs for domestic matches this week through a statement on their website.
"Based on positive signals and constructive dialogue FIFA has received from the UK government towards the international match window in October, recognising that players have no control over the extreme situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and sanitary restrictions currently imposed and, as a sign of good faith, goodwill and cooperation, the member associations of Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Paraguay, in close consultation with FIFA, have taken the decision to withdraw their complaints in relation to the England-based players, and players bound to play in England, who were not released for the recent international matches.
On 8 September 2021, the FIFA President, The FA Interim Chair and Premier League Chair sent a joint letter to the UK Prime Minister. The UK government is now open to find a reasonable solution with the three organisations, who are working closely together in a spirit of mutual understanding, in the interests of everyone."
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