Alisson has no issue with representing Brazil in this month’s World Cup qualifiers, but the Liverpool goalkeeper insists the UK government have created “another problem.”
Alisson is one of four Liverpool players travelling to red-listed countries during the October international break, having been named in the Brazil squad along with Fabinho.
The pair will head to Venezuela, Colombia and Brazil while on duty, with those returning from all three countries subject to quarantine rules when back in the UK.
However, the government has made an exemption for footballers, allowing them to train and play during their 10-day isolation period – though Alisson and Fabinho will still miss the upcoming clashes with Watford and Atletico Madrid.
That’s because the Watford game takes place merely 35 hours after the final Brazil game ends, on another continent – an issue that’s separate really to the quarantine saga.
As for the Atletico game, that takes place in a different country, therefore requiring a flight, travel and accommodation in Spain. How that would work with a UK-approved quarantine has not been revealed.
A player is permitted to leave a UK-approved quarantine location to play and train, but how would that work with a match in another country?!
Therefore, Alisson believes this has simply created “another problem” for him and his compatriot, who despite being fully vaccinated will be forced to spend more time away from their families.
“They solved a problem with another problem for us players,” he told ESPN Brasil.
“We’ll be representing our national team, which is our obligation, it’s also something that we are all very honoured to do, to honour our shirt and to represent our country.
“Going there and doing this, we’re far from our family, and when we come back, we have to stay away from them for another 10 days.”
Alisson pointed out that football returned before any other form of entertainment in the UK due to “trust in [COVID-19] protocols,” but now insists that “now it seems that there’s no confidence in the protocols from the authorities.”
“The government has encouraged players to get vaccinated, and we vaccinated ourselves, all fully vaccinated,” he added, with Jurgen Klopp revealing “99 percent” of his staff are now double-jabbed.
“And yet, despite all that I’ve said, we have to go back and quarantine.
“We in no way want to be privileged. We just want the decisions taken to be coherent with what really exists.
“We understand the situation the world is in, which is a complicated situation, but the decisions that were taken make no sense at all.
“So I believe a lot of people agree with that. Maybe someone might not agree, but that’s my thinking regarding quarantine.”
Alisson is an intelligent, compassionate man, so it is no surprise to hear him speak so sensibly on a situation that makes little sense given the players are threatened with bans if they do not report for duty.
There appears no solution that would suit all parties, though, and as usual it is the players who ultimately suffer.
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