A premature return for Brazilian football?

Welcome back to the Brazil Sports newsletter! With the Covid-19 pandemic reaching a critical stage in Brazil, government discussions over bringing back football have been criticized and seen as hasty. Also, we look back on the life of Ayrton Senna, Brazil’s Formula 1 hero. Enjoy your read!

Only fools rush in as Brazil plans hasty return to football

On Saturday, the 2020 Brazilian championship season was set to kick-off, with reigning champions Flamengo starting the season at home against Atlético-MG. Of course, no football was played this weekend, and the Covid-19 pandemic has cast doubt over the chances of the 2020 national championship taking place at all. However, with the support of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, recent talks suggest that Brazil could be the first South American nation to see a return to football. Whether that is a smart move is another discussion.

Covid-19. Brazil has now recorded over 100,000 cases of the coronavirus and 7,000 deaths — and one-third of these totals were registered over the last seven days. The situation is becoming desperate in many parts of the country, with local health systems collapsing left, right, and center. So, why on earth would a return to football even be discussed?

States under pressure. The national championship is certainly the biggest money-spinner in Brazilian football and is by far the most important domestic tournament, but the rush to get back to playing is not linked to the national league. The most pressing matter are Brazil’s...