Rio Grande do Sul has been suffering from heavy rains that caused the state’s worst climate tragedy in history. According to the Civil Defense bulletin on Tuesday (14), there are already 147 dead, 125 missing, and 806 injured. More than 2 million people have been affected.
Due to the inability to hold their matches, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) postponed the games involving the teams from Rio Grande do Sul for 20 days. However, the matches of the other Brazilian teams were maintained. Given the scenario, the possibility of suspending the Brazilian Championship has been discussed.
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Floods in Rio Grande do Sul
- Juventude, Internacional and Grêmio had their Brazilian Championship and Copa do Brasil matches postponed by the CBF;
- The flood caused by the heavy rains has already left 147 dead and 125 missing;
- It is possible to make donations to the flood victims
Which teams positioned themselves in favor of suspending the Brazilian Championship?
Updated on May 15, 2024, at 2:30 pm (Brasilia time)
The CBF asked the clubs that compete in the Serie A of the Brazilian Championship to express their opinion on a possible suspension of the championship. Last weekend, with the matches for the 6th round, some teams gave their position.
Palmeiras and Flamengo were against the interruption of the tournament. Athletico-PR, which also disagreed before, positioned itself in favor in support of Rio Grande do Sul.
Last week, Flamengo, Palmeiras and São Paulo, together, offered their facilities so that the teams from Rio Grande do Sul can train and prepare for their matches, in addition to suggesting Granja Comary as a refuge.
However, Inter, Grêmio and Juventude rule out the possibility of leaving Rio Grande do Sul to host their matches, understanding that it is not the right time and prioritizing helping those affected by the floods in the state.
On Tuesday (14), journalist PVC, in his column on UOL Esporte, reported that seven of the 20 teams competing in Serie A of the Brazilian Championship are against the suspension of the championship.
On the same day, the BaVi duo, from Bahia football, who had positioned themselves against the interruption of the matches, according to the journalist, released a joint note defending the suspension.
See how each team has positioned themselves so far:
- In favor: Atlético-GO, Atlético-MG, Athletico-PR, Botafogo, Criciúma, Cuiabá, Cruzeiro, Fluminense, Fortaleza, Grêmio, Internacional, Juventude, Bahia, Vitória and Vasco
- Against: Flamengo, Palmeiras, São Paulo, Corinthians and Red Bull Bragantino
The CBF released, on the night of last Sunday (12), the call for an extraordinary Technical Council meeting of Serie A, which will take place on May 27. There, the possible suspension of the matches due to the tragedy in Rio Grande do Sul will be discussed.
Divergences within the Forte União League
The 11 teams that are part of the Forte União League signed a document positioning themselves in favor of the immediate suspension of the championship. There are divergent thoughts among the clubs, according to PVC, but despite this, they understand that it is a solidary behavior towards the teams from Rio Grande do Sul.
The group is composed of Athletico-PR, Atlético-GO, Botafogo, Criciúma, Cruzeiro, Cuiabá, Fluminense, Fortaleza, Internacional, Juventude and Vasco.
This positioning, however, does not encompass the suspension of Serie C and D, which also has teams from Rio Grande do Sul. This is because the interruption of the lower divisions can negatively impact the smaller clubs, which depend on the matches to pay the salaries.
What is happening in Rio Grande do Sul?
A storm that has been hitting Rio Grande do Sul in recent days has already left at least 149 dead, 108 missing and 806 injured. According to the Civil Defense of Rio Grande do Sul, more than 2 million people have been affected.
The Government of Rio Grande do Sul has reactivated the donation channel to the SOS Rio Grande do Sul account. Those interested can help with any amount to the Pix key CNPJ 92.958.800/0001-38. The account name that appears is “SOS Rio Grande do Sul” and the bank is Banrisul.
Several Brazilian clubs, influencers and artists are also running fundraising campaigns to help the victims of the floods. NGOs have opened their channels to receive donations for the affected residents.
Remembering Zagallo
Sambafoot Series launched a new documentary about the football legend Zagallo. Known as ‘Velho Lobo‘ and as superstitious as it gets, Zagallo helped shape what Brazilian football is nowadays — as a player and as a coach.
Binge the episodes available on Sambafoot’s Youtube channel. Stay tuned for upcoming releases as we keep telling this legend’s life story.
