Football activities resumes in Brazil

Brazilian football resumed after a three-month interruption on Thursday night, with Flamengo beating Bangu 3-0 at an empty Maracana stadium in the first game of the restarted Rio De Janeiro state championship.

The match marked the return of Brazil’s state leagues, most of which were halted in March as the novel coronavirus spread.

Most of the other state championships, which are usually played between January and April before the national leagues take place in the second half of the year, have not yet set a date for resuming.

The resumption in Brazil has caused controversy, with two top clubs, Botafogo and Fluminense, saying they will not turn up for scheduled games this weekend.