The Copa America was due to be held in Columbia, followed by Argentina, and has now been shifted to Brazil. The reason behind the constant shifting of the venue is due to the massive surge in COVID cases that have caused concerns among the organisers.

The Brazilian squad is not happy about the issue, it seems, and national team captain Casemiro was absent from his press conference duties in an attempt to presumably protest about the same.

“We’ve asked the athletes to focus only on the game against Ecuador,” Brazil coach Tite said, as quoted by Goal.com.

SAMARA, RUSSIA – JULY 02: Neymar Jr Casemiro of Brazil celebrate victory following the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Round of 16 match between Brazil and Mexico at Samara Arena on July 2, 2018 in Samara, Russia. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images)

“Then they’ve (the players) asked to speak directly to the president (Caboclo).

“It was a very straightforward conversation. And then the players’ stance also became very clear. We have a position but we will not reveal it now.

“Our priority now is to play well and to win against Ecuador.

“We understand that the situation will become clear after this international break. They (the players) have an opinion, they’ve told it to the president and they will tell it to the people at the right time.

“That was the reason why Casemiro, our skipper, wasn’t here for this interview.”

The shift of venue to Brazil was made 13 days before the tournament was expected to begin. And now, if the Brazil national team refuses to play at all, there is a chance that the tournament will be cancelled.