Lima -
The Peruvian first division soccer tournament will resume on Friday, August 7 without an audience and only in Lima stadiums, after nearly five months of inactivity due to the pandemic, a leader announced on Tuesday. COVID-19 forced the authorities of the ADFP (Professional Soccer Sports Association) to reconsider the format of the championship.
"We hope that there will be no problem for the return of the 2020 League on August 7, obviously waiting for the provisions dictated by the government and strictly obeying them, as we have been doing," said Víctor Villavicencio, the manager of the League 1.
"The return of the 2020 League, which is scheduled for August 7, can only be played" from Friday to Sunday, no longer midweek, clarified the leader in a press conference.
The championship will be played in seven stadiums in the Peruvian capital, including the National Stadium and the Alejandro Villanueva Stadium of the Alianza Lima club.
The boss has arrived! --
The Cienciano club squad is already installed in Cieneguilla. Tomorrow training resumes.⚽️#UnidosSomosMásFuertes pic.twitter.com/FQ39OyK8uY
- ADFP (@ADFP_Peru) July 23, 2020
Villavicencio confirmed that the first match of the seventh round of the Opening Tournament will be played between Universitario de Deportes and Cantolao at the National Stadium in Lima.
Although the quarantine decreed on March 16 due to the pandemic was lifted in Lima and most of the country on July 1, health authorities must give their approval to resume soccer.
"It is most likely that the Universitario vs. Cantolao match will be played on August 7 at the National Stadium. It's a bit complicated to move that match, plus it's a special date for Universitario," he said in reference to the fact that the popular Lima club celebrates its 96th anniversary that day.
Each team will be able to field up to five foreign players in each match, instead of four as before the pandemic.
Before each match, the players and members of the technical staff of the 20 clubs in the League 1 will have to undergo coronavirus tests.
"We have to be meticulous in mass infections," said Villavicencio.
He indicated that players will not be able to celebrate goals effusively.
"The celebration regulations must be complied with. Hugs and effusive celebrations must be avoided," he commented.
The 20 teams in the first division began their third week of training with complete squads on Monday. Previously, there were only practices with small groups.
With 33 million inhabitants, Peru had more than 389,000 cases of coronavirus and 18,418 deaths as of Monday. It is the third country with the most infections and deaths in Latin America behind Brazil and Mexico. (D)