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Gremio players protest, walk onto the field with face masks amid coronavirus crisis

Gremio v Sao Luiz Play the Rio Grande do Sul State Championship With Closed Doors as a Precautionary Measure Against the Coronavirus

PORTO ALEGRE, BRAZIL - MARCH 15: Players of Gremio wearing masks before the match between Gremio and Sao Luiz as part of the Rio Grande do Sul State Championship 2020, to be played behind closed doors at Arena do Gremio Stadium, on March 15, 2020 in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The Government of the State of Rio Grande do Sul issued a list of new guidelines to help prevent the spread of the Coronavirus which included games played with closed doors and no public. According to the Ministry of Health, as of Saturday, March 14, Brazil had 121 confirmed cases of coronavirus. (Photo by Lucas Uebel/Getty Images)

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Gremio players took the field on Sunday with face masks on as a sign of protest for having to play during the coronavirus pandemic.

No fans were allowed into Gremio Arena for Gremio’s Gaucho state championship match against Sao Luiz, but Renato Portaluppi’s men did wear white face masks as they walked through the tunnel and onto the field.

“This protest by the players makes implicit our support for the championship to be halted - life must take precedence,” Gremio’s director of football, Paulo Luz, said about the situation.

With goals a first-half goal from Pualo Miranda and second-half goals from Thiago Neves and Diego Souza, the hosts edges Sao Luiz 3-2. Gremio players did not wear the white masks during the game.

“The whole world has stopped - shouldn’t Brazilian football stop as well? That’s our message and I hope they listen. We hope that good sense will prevail,” Gremio coach Portaluppi said following the game.

Gremio’s protest comes after various South American clubs are starting to complain about having to play, mostly behind closed doors. On Saturday, River Plate refused to play their Superliga cup bout against Atletico Tucuman, closing the doors to their stadium, leaving league officials and Atletico Tucuman outside without access.

On Thursday, South America’s soccer governing body, CONMEBOL, suspended 2020 Copa Libertadores games through March 21.

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