Brazilian football not likely to restart any time soon, says CBF secretary general

Rio de Janerio: The chance of Brazilian football restarting in May is more of a hope than an expectation, the secretary general of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said on Monday. Brazilian football was suspended last month because of the spread of the new coronavirus and Walter Feldman told Reuters a quick restart was unlikely. [caption id=“attachment_8136221” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AP[/caption] “There is hope,” Feldman said in a phone call from his home in Rio where he is in self-isolation. “Is May possible? I’d say it’s a hope but we can’t say it is an expectation.” Feldman said the CBF had not yet considered scrapping this year’s national championship, which is scheduled to kick off in early May and end in December. The fate of the traditionally important state championships, which were halted in March and have still to be completed, still hang in the balance. The autonomous state federations could restart their tournaments without the green light from the CBF but Feldman said he expected any decision will only be made after consultation with the health ministry. “We don’t think anyone can return to action until the health authorities advise them so,” he said. “Their voice is decisive in any decision.” Brazil has reported a total of 23,430 cases and 1,328 deaths from COVID-19 as of Monday, although a study released the same day suggested the South American nation likely has 12 times more cases than are being officially reported by the government.