According to Spanish newspaper Marca, the Brazilian delegation has expressed strong dissatisfaction with CONMEBOL (the governing body of the Copa América) about feeling sidelined and treated unfairly by the South American football organization.
The Brazilian Football Confederation’s anger reached a boiling point upon their arrival at the Las Vegas hotel, as the delegation was forced to enter through a back entrance. This arrangement completely enraged Ednaldo Rodrigues, the federation president. “We are not criminals!” he declared to security personnel, with coach Dorival Jr. joining the protest. This incident is merely the tip of the iceberg, highlighting the many grievances the Brazilian Football Confederation has against CONMEBOL.
First and foremost, training facility issues are causing headaches. The Brazilian Football Confederation has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the lack of shower facilities at the designated training ground in Las Vegas – the Betty Wilson Soccer Center. This means that the national team players are unable to shower directly after training, significantly impacting their daily routines and recovery.
Secondly, the scheduling of matches is seen as unfair by the Brazilian side. Brazilian media have continually compared Brazil’s schedule to Argentina’s, pointing out that Brazil faces a tougher group of opponents, including Uruguay and Colombia, while Argentina has a relatively easier run against Ecuador, Canada, and others. The Brazilian Football Confederation is deeply unhappy about this, reminiscing about the days of Ricardo Teixeira (CONMEBOL president from 1989 to 2012) when they had greater influence, despite Teixeira’s later being investigated for corruption.
Furthermore, Brazilian star Vinicius Junior has also publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with CONMEBOL. After the first game, he openly criticized the tournament organization: “The Copa América is a challenge for us because of the stadium conditions and the referees, who are always against us. But we have to be strong and only win to have a voice. However, when we speak out, CONMEBOL accuses us of talking too much.”
Particularly infuriating is the missed penalty call against Vinicius in the match. In a pivotal game for their group qualification, Vinicius was clearly fouled when the team was 1-0 up, a penalty should have been awarded, but the referee ignored it, and VAR failed to correct this mistake. Hours later, CONMEBOL acknowledged the error in a teaching review, stating that VAR failed to accurately assess whether the defender touched the ball first, overturning the original ruling. This decision has sparked outrage in Brazil, as the error directly impacted Brazil’s chances in the quarter-finals.
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