A judge in Rio de Janeiro has given the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) 48 hours to explain why none of their players in the Copa America are wearing the number 24 shirt, which is often associated with homosexuals in the country. is.
Defending champions Brazil registered a full squad of players for the Copa America, but unlike the other nine teams, none were given the number 24 shirt, according to the plaintiffs in the case of the LGBT rights group Rainbow Citizens.
In Brazil's illegal gambling game, the number 24 is associated with deer, which in Brazil has a gay connotation. Many Brazilian players in the past have refused to wear numbers for their clubs.
A judge asked the CBF to clarify whether the decision not to award the number 24 shirt was deliberate, who within the organization is responsible for choosing the number, & whether football's governing body has the right to record player numbers. There are no guidelines.
The CBF didn't respond to requests for comment.
Judge Ricardo Cypher said, "The fight of the LGBTQIA+ community to end discrimination against its members, in recognition of their rights to full coexistence in society, is well known."
The Copa América began on June 13 & will end on July 10.