CAN 2021: European clubs threaten not to let their players go to Cameroon

The trophy awarded to the winner of the African Cup of Nations.

AFP - DANIEL BELOUMOU OLOMO

Text by: David Kalfa Follow

3 min

The Association of European Football Clubs (ECA) threatens not to let African players playing on the Old Continent go to Cameroon for the African Cup of Nations (CAN 2021), citing the current health context.

The ECA, in a letter addressed to the International Federation (FIFA), indicates that " 

the clubs will not be able to release players for the tournament 

", for lack of a clear medical protocol presented by CAF.

The organization adds that the overlap of CAN 2021 and national competition matches in some European countries is " 

unmanageable 

".

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On December 2, 2021, the Association of European Football Clubs (ECA) expressed " 

its deep concerns about the safety and well-being of players ahead of the African Cup of Nations

".

This group, which brings together nearly 250 clubs including giants such as Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United, Bayern Munich, PSG or AC Milan, had promised to seize the International Federation (

FIFA

) on the subject.

However, his threat is barely veiled in a letter of December 10 addressed to FIFA: the clubs of the Old Continent will not let their players go to Cameroon without serious guarantees, in view of the global health context, marked by the appearance of Omicron variant.

Targeted travel restrictions

The ECA considers that three of its fundamental concerns - to ensure the well-being of each player employed by its members, to have them available for club competitions, and that said players resume their activities with their clubs as soon as they return from selection - will not be respected in the context of international matches in January.

In particular, it points to the quarantine periods that players may have to observe after a stay with their national team.

According to

special rules issued by FIFA during a pandemic

, clubs can detain players if there is " 

a mandatory quarantine of at least five days on arrival

 " at the location " 

where a match of the national team is supposed to take place 

”or when the player returns to his club.

CAN and CAF criticized

Regarding the

CAN 2021

, the ECA considers " 

unmanageable

 " the " 

overlap of the dates of provision

 " of the African players for this competition, around December 27, with the dates of " 

matches of national competitions which must take place until 'at the beginning of January

 ', notably in England and France.

The African Football Confederation (

CAF

) also takes it for its rank.

To our knowledge, CAF has not yet made available a suitable medical and operational protocol for the CAN, failing which the clubs will not be able to release players for the tournament 

", insists the ECA.

Cameroon and CAF stay the course

In the meantime, on December 13, Cameroon however

unveiled its special Covid-19 health plan

.

What reassure the European clubs?

On the CAF side, we prefer to kick in touch.

In a statement, while several media echo a hypothetical cancellation of CAN 2021, the African Football Confederation urges " 

all parties to work day and night to ensure that everything is in place for the opening match of January 9, 2022

 ”.

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  • Soccer

  • CAN 2021

  • Cameroon

  • Sports

  • Coronavirus

  • CAF

  • Fifa