Copa America 2021: When will Argentina tournament take place & why was Colombia stripped of hosting duty? goal.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from goal.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Share on Twitter
South American nation Colombia is currently in its fourth week of violent anti-government protests and growing safety concerns, along with increased worries over the spread of coronavirus, has forced the governing body to act.
The Colombian cities of Cali, Medellin and the capital Bogota had all been due to host matches, including games in the knockout phase, while Barranquilla was originally slated to host the final.
Colombia had asked for the tournament, which is due to be played between June 13 and July 10 after it was postponed last year due to COVID-19, to be rescheduled in November or December.
Lucena had announced at a press conference that the postponement was linked to the coronavirus crisis
The South American Football Confederation (Conmebol) Thursday decided to reschedule the Copa America matches which were going to be played in Colombia starting next month but has yet to confirm the new venues.
Conmebol reacted quickly after Colombia s request to postpone the Copa América later this year and maintained the dates for the 15 matches. Co-hosting the tournament is Argentina and President Alberto Fernández has admitted he would evaluate the chance of hosting the entire competition should Conmebol ask him to.
Colombian President Iván Duque met earlier Thursday with Sports Minister Ernesto Lucena and Colombian Football Federation President Ramón Jesurún. At the meeting, it was clear the Copa America could not go on as planned in light of the social unrest the country is going through, so they chose to seek a postponement, which was flatly rejecte