Brazil's Bolsonaro backs football's return

BRASILIA - Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said Thursday he supported efforts to restart the country's top football competitions after their coronavirus shutdowns.

All organized sport has been suspended in the South American country since mid-March to halt the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bolsonaro said it was in the best interests of clubs and fans to resume elite football as soon as possible.

"I'm not a doctor but we think that games can be played again: under certain criteria and initially without fans," Bolsonaro told reporters.

"Teams like Flamengo and Palmeiras have huge expenses. And there are a lot of players who only earn five, 10 or 15 thousand reais ($around 2,600) a month. These players are suffering as well."

Flamengo have spearhead efforts for football's return in the South American country after the Rio de Janeiro Football Federation authorized clubs within its jurisdiction to resume training.

But Flamengo's plans suffered a setback on Monday when 38 people associated with the club - including three players - tested positive for COVID-19.

The secretary-general of the Brazilian Football Confederation, Walter Feldman said earlier on Thursday that it is still too soon to restart football in the country.

Brazil's health ministry has reported nearly 136,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 9,188 deaths, according to health ministry figures.