再開したブラジルサッカー、反対クラブの不参加を許可

【リオデジャネイロＡＦＰ＝時事】新型コロナウイルスの感染拡大が続くブラジルで、先週再開したサッカーのリオデジャネイロ州選手権について、再開に強く反対していたフルミネンセとボタフォゴFRの当面不参加が認められた。州知事が発表した。（写真は資料写真）
　スタッフの一人が公開した動画の中で、リオデジャネイロ市のマルセロ・クリベラ市長が「基本的に、フルミネンセとボタフォゴの試合は見合わせになることをご理解いただきたい」と話した。
　リオ州選手権はクリベラ市長がロックダウン（都市封鎖）の規則を緩和したことを受けて、国内の州選手権、さらには南米全体で初めて新型ウイルスによる中断からの再開が実現し、１８日に２試合が行われた。
　リベルタドーレス杯王者で、昨季の全国選手権覇者でもあるフラメンゴとバングの試合は、バングのホーム扱いながら舞台はフラメンゴの本拠地で、ブラジルサッカーの聖地でもあるマラカナン・スタジアムで行われた。
　しかし、近くに新型ウイルスの患者用の仮設病院もあるスタジアムの外では、両チームのサポーター、さらには同じマラカナンをホームとするフルミネンセや、ボタフォゴのファンが抗議活動を行い、当局は市民の命を危険にさらしていると訴えた。
　リオ州の４強に数えられるフルミネンセとボタフォゴは再開に反対し、少なくとも７月までリーグを中断するよう裁判所に要請している。両クラブはまだ練習を再開していない状況ながら、２２日に再開初戦、その３日後には２戦目が予定されていた。
　ブラジルでは、２１日時点で新型ウイルスによる死者が５万人を超えた。これは米国に次いで世界で２番目に多い数字で、死者数は現在も急激に増え続けている。国内ではリオ州がサンパウロ州に次いで被害が大きい。
【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2020/06/22-13:30）

The two clubs who most strongly opposed the resumption of the Rio football championship, Fluminense and Botafogo, will be allowed to sit the competition out, mayor Marcelo Crivella has announced.
In a video sent out on Saturday by one of his staff, Crivella said: Basically, Fluminense and Botafogo's matches are suspended, and we ask for everyone's understanding.
The Campeonato Carioca, the football tournament in the state of Rio de Janeiro, became the first South American competition to return after a coronavirus shutdown with two matches on Friday.
Flamengo, the Copa Libertadores holders and reigning Brazilian league champions, beat Bangu 3-0. Portuguesa and Boavista drew 0-0.
While Bangu was, in theory, the home team, the match was played at Flamengo's home stadium, the Maracana, site of one of Rio de Janeiro's coronavirus field hospitals.
The restart, the first in Brazil's state leagues, was made possible by Crivella relaxing lockdown rules in the city.
Supporters of both clubs, as well as fans of Fluminense, which also plays at the Maracana, and Botafogo were among those protesting outside the stadium before the match, saying the authorities were putting lives at risk.
Fluminense and Botafogo, two of Rio's big four, were opposed to playing again and went to court to request a suspension of the league at least until July. The two clubs, who had not yet returned to training, were due to play their first game next Monday, and another match three days later.
Earlier on Saturday, the Rio de Janeiro State Football Federation had said that if the clubs chose not to play their match, they would be considered as lost 3-0.
Crivella said in his statement that the public decree on the resumption of football would be adjusted to acknowledge that the two clubs would not be playing.
With nearly 48,000 people killed by the virus so far, Brazil has the second-highest death toll in the world, after the United States, and the number of cases continues rising steeply.
Rio de Janeiro is the second-most affected Brazilian state, just behind Sao Paulo, with 95,537 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 8,824 deaths.