A much-anticipated CONMEBOL qualifying match for the 2022 World Cup between arch-rivals Brazil and Argentina ended in shambolic scenes. The match was abandoned after Brazilian police entered the field to arrest four of Argentina's players. These players allegedly falsified information on documents pertaining to Covid-19.
Giovani Lo Celso, Emiliano Buendía, Emiliano Martínez, and Cristian Romero had allegedly claimed to have arrived in São Paulo from Venezuela without mentioning that they had also been in the UK, a country on Brazil's "red list". All four players are based in the Premier League.
The fact that Lo Celso and Romero were involved should certainly be a cause for concern at their club Tottenham Hotspur. The current Premier League leaders have confirmed that they intend to fine both players for their respective offenses. However, this incident was exactly what Tottenham did not need after a tumultuous off-season which almost saw star striker Harry Kane leave for Manchester City.
Although neither of the two players involved are regular starters for Tottenham, this is exactly the type of incident which can destabilize the team and distract them as they continue their quest for a top-four Premier League finish - just what they don't need at this early stage of the season. Last season, the North London club finished seventh in the league; it was their worst league finish since 2009. If they do not have a bounce-back campaign this season, the next off-season might see Kane finally depart Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after what would be 11 years at the club.
During the next transfer window in January, it might also be in Tottenham's best interest to ship Lo Celso out if possible. Not only is the midfielder from Rosario not a key part of the squad; he has also once again proven himself to be a complete knucklehead. This recent incident was Lo Celso's second violation of Covid-19 regulations. Last December, Lo Celso was one of three Tottenham players who found themselves in trouble after having attended a Christmas party; an act which contravened lockdown regulations in force in the UK at the time. If Tottenham can find another club willing to overlook Lo Celso's baggage, they should seek to make a deal as soon as possible.
This incident may also prove to be a major distraction to Argentina's national team. Fresh off winning the Copa América, the Albiceleste are currently second in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying standings. They cannot afford to be thrown off by recent events because a slump might see them slide out of the top four; only four of the 10 teams in the qualifiers will advance to the tournament in Qatar next year.
Should Argentina finish fifth, they will enter a two-legged playoff against a team from a different continent. Though Argentina will undoubtedly be favoured to beat that other team, anything can happen over just 180 minutes.
Another significant matter for Argentina has to be the fate of goalkeeper Martínez. The Aston Villa player was the breakout star of Argentina's victorious Copa América run. He was selected as the tournament's best goalkeeper just a month after making his national team debut. Within just a few short months, Martínez has firmly established himself as Argentina's first-choice goalkeeper. To put into perspective just how meteoric his rise has been, Martínez had never been a first-choice goalkeeper at any point during his career until the beginning of the 2020-21 Premier League season. Martínez was almost 28 at the time.
Thus, the incident at the Neo Química Arena has left Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni in a major quandary. None of Argentina's other goalkeepers are even close to the level of Martínez. In addition, the increased scrutiny will add even more pressure to the team's upcoming matches. It would therefore not be all that surprising if they were to drop cheap points in their next few matches, causing them to lose ground in the chase to claim a World Cup spot.
Both Argentina and Tottenham now find their campaigns at a crossroads due to the sheer irresponsibility of their players. How both teams respond to this latest turn of events will play a major role in determining the eventual final outcomes of their World Cup qualifying matches and Premier League and UEFA Conference League seasons respectively.
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