Serie A trainings remain stalled as Italy plans end to lockdown
The resumption of the Italian football season remains on hold, even as the country prepares for a gradual easing of its coronavirus lockdown.
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced on Sunday that restrictions on businesses and the movement of people are to be gradually lifted starting on May 4, ending a lockdown that began in early March.
“It will be possible to do sport outside, [with people] staying at least 2 metres apart,” Conte said, adding that teams in professional football and non-pro team sports could restart training on May 18.
Addressing the restart of the football Serie A league, the premier said Sports Minister Vincenzo Spadafora would continue his meetings with football bodies in the next days.
“We want to make the restart possible, but with careful protection of our heroes,” Conte said.
Spadafora said later on a programme on public television Rai 2, that the May 4 date only regards individual sports, like tennis, swimming and athletics.
“For team sports we will have to wait,” he said. “By May 18 we want to have clear safety measures.
“Lately, there have been some attempts from [Serie A club] presidents and sports commentators to portrait the government’s striving for safety as incompetence, stonewalling or will to penalize football.
“The truth is that the restart must be gradual, otherwise the sacrifices we have made so far will amount to nothing. To achieve this we need tight rules.”
He added that the the domestic federation FIGC “has presented a protocol that our scientific committee [on Saturday] considered insufficient and needs improvements that will be discussed in the coming days.”
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Scientific advisors to the government have said that maintaining social distancing, a key measure to prevent the spread of Covid-19, is practically impossible in a contact sport like football.
FIGC’s protocol envisions a safe restart of training on May 4, with possible resumption of games by early June. The Serie A has 12 rounds left to play. (dpa)
