In the wake of the novel Coronavirus, the 47th edition of Copa America, which was slated to be held in 2020, has been postponed to the next year, confirmed CONMEBOL on Tuesday.
“After a detailed analysis of the situation around the world and regional evolution of the Coronavirus (COVID19), and the recommendations made by international organizations in the field of Public Health to take extreme precautions, CONMEBOL announces the postponement of edition 47 of CONMEBOL Copa América on the dates from June 11 to July 11, 2021,” said CONMEBOL in its official website.
“The Confederation, with its president Alejandro Domínguez, together with the 10 presidents of the different Member Associations, considers that an event of this magnitude deserves that all attention and effort be concentrated in its organization; a priority that is now in the background to protect the health and safety of national teams, fans, the media and host cities,” it added.
The 12-team tournament, which was slated to commence on June 12 and conclude on July 12 in Colombia and Argentina, follows the 16th edition of the Euros which also has been postponed to 2021 amidst the crisis unleashed by the spread of COVID-19.
The coronavirus, which has already been declared pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO), has so far claimed around 8,000 lives and has affected over 197,000.