CONMEBOL confirmed on Thursday that Colombia will no longer be one of co-hosts for the2021 Copa America.
The country had already been picked alongside Argentina as co-hosts of the continental competition. The final was also scheduled to hold in Barranquilla’s Estadio Metropolitano.
It was a last resort but CONMEBOL were forced to make a decision after intense protests continue to happen in the country. It comes after Colombia made a proposal for the Copa to be postponed until November, but that was firmly rejected.
“With regards to the Colombian government’s formal request to reschedule the Copa America for November, CONMEBOL can reveal the following,” the governing body said in a statement published on its official website.
“Due to reasons related to the international competition calendar and tournament logistics, it will be impossible to move the 2021 Copa America to November.
“CONMEBOL is grateful for the enthusiasm and commitment shown by the President of the Republic of Colombia, Ivan Duque and his collaborators, as well as by the president of the Colombian Football Federation, Ramon Jesurun, and his team. We are sure that in the future new projects together will emerge for the growth of Colombian and South American football.
To go with, the rest of the Copa Libertadores games that were supposed to hold in Colombia have also been moved to Paraguay and Ecuador.
Argentina have now tendered their intent to solely host the Copa America. However, it is not as straightforward as it looks once again. As it stands, the country still find themselves in a tight lockdown situation up until the 31st of May following a recent reoccurrence of coronavirus cases. That could also complicate their chances of even co-hosting the tournament in any way.
