The referee for the Copa Libertadores clash between Argentina’s Racing and Uruguay’s Nacional was replaced after testing positive for Covid-19. CONMEBOL said in a statement that Brazilian referee Anderson Daronco (photo), his assistants Fabricio Vilarinho, Rafael Alves and fourth official Bruno Arleu will remain isolated for 14 days, as Argentinian health protocols recommend. CONMEBOL said all were asymptomatic when they took the tests on Sunday. Daronco will be replaced by Chilean Cristian Garay, who was initially expected to referee another Copa Libertadores match in Argentina between local Defensa y Justicia and Ecuador’s Delfín.
Four Argentine match officials, female FIFA assistant referees Mariana De Almeida and Daiana Milone, and fourth officials Fernando Echenique and Nicolas Lamolina, were called as last-minute local replacements. A few days ago, Ecuadorian referee Augusto Aragon and assistant referee Christian Lescano also tested positive for Covid-19 and had to be replaced. Copa Libertadores restarted on Tuesday after a six-month halt due to the pandemic. Now Brazil, Peru, Colombia and Argentina are among the top 10 countries in the world in terms of confirmed cases of the disease.
Source: AP