Brazil will not support a request to FIFA sent by the South America football confederation to allow matches to be staged at an altitude of more than 2,750 metres above sea level.
With the top teams in Brazil - Flamengo, Fluminense, Santos, Cruzeiro, Sao Paulo - supporting FIFA's decision, Brazilian FA president Ricardo Teixeira announced they will not support the CONMEBOL request due to "internal differences" although they will respect it.
"Ricardo Teixeira was the only one who didn't sign the document," said CONMEBOL president Nicolas Leoz.
"He used his right to refuse to support a request with which he doesn't agree and we respect that."
CONMEBOL sent a new petition to FIFA asking that World Cup qualifiers be allowed to take place at cities such as La Paz and Quito while reaffirming their commitment to playing Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana matches in the Andes.
"If any squad refuses to fulfil their commitments in any of these cities in the Libertadores or the Sudamericana, it will lose the points, will be fined and also expelled from the competition for three years," said CONMEBOL executive secretary Francisco Figueredo.
Other South American countries are backing CONMEBOL with the Bolivian football federation (FBF) engaging Spanish firm Ibarrola Sport Internacional Law to appeal FIFA's decision which they deem to be unfair.
Ecuador and Peru, who have also been damaged by FIFA's decision, declared that they are "ready to fight" while Colombia, which is not affected as Bogota is located at 2,649 metres above sea level, have expressed "their solidarity with their Andean neighbours".
"Ricardo Teixeira was the only one who didn't sign the document," said CONMEBOL president Nicolas Leoz.
"He used his right to refuse to support a request with which he doesn't agree and we respect that."
CONMEBOL sent a new petition to FIFA asking that World Cup qualifiers be allowed to take place at cities such as La Paz and Quito while reaffirming their commitment to playing Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana matches in the Andes.
"If any squad refuses to fulfil their commitments in any of these cities in the Libertadores or the Sudamericana, it will lose the points, will be fined and also expelled from the competition for three years," said CONMEBOL executive secretary Francisco Figueredo.
Other South American countries are backing CONMEBOL with the Bolivian football federation (FBF) engaging Spanish firm Ibarrola Sport Internacional Law to appeal FIFA's decision which they deem to be unfair.
Ecuador and Peru, who have also been damaged by FIFA's decision, declared that they are "ready to fight" while Colombia, which is not affected as Bogota is located at 2,649 metres above sea level, have expressed "their solidarity with their Andean neighbours".
Copyright (c) Press Association
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