Fans slam 20:30 Flu v Vasco kick-off, clubs requested it themselves | OneFootball

The decision not to schedule games before 6 p.m. in December came from a request by the players' union to protect athletes from the heat; the organization scheduled the derby for the second time slot.

The announcement of the kickoff times for the Copa do Brasil semifinals sparked a strong reaction among Fluminense and Vasco fans. The first match, on December 11, will be at 8 p.m., and the return leg, on Sunday, December 14, at 8:30 p.m.—both at times considered impractical for those going to the stadium as well as for those watching from home.

On social media, criticism focused on the organizers and the broadcasters holding the transmission rights, who were accused of prioritizing the TV schedule.

But the official explanation goes in another direction. According to a statement released this Thursday (30), the scheduling of the matches followed a formal request from the clubs, made through the players' union, so that no matches would be scheduled before 6 p.m. in the months of December, January, and February. The goal is to prevent athletes from playing under high temperatures.

With this restriction, the first semifinal match, between Corinthians and Cruzeiro, was scheduled for 6 p.m., opening the round. Next, the Fluminense vs. Vasco derby was set for 8:30 p.m., completing the schedule.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.