Seven Serie A clubs to cancel the 2019/20 season
In Italy’s first Serie A football league, they are facing resistance from clubs calling for an immediate and irrevocable cancellation following the outbreak of the pandemic of the new coronavirus stalled 2019/20 league season. According to Italian media, the clubs concerned are Brescia, Turin, Sampdoria, Udinese, SPAL, Genoa and Cagliari.
Seven clubs out of twenty in the Italian Premier League are convinced that continuing the season in the midst of a pandemic would pose too much health risk. These are clubs from the bottom of the championship standings. Despite the announced boycott of the continuation of the interrupted season by a third of Serie A clubs, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and the Serie A league management are determined to bring the season to a close and announce a champion on the field.
“The Serie A League Council unanimously confirmed its intention to end the 2019/20 season if the government permits the resumption of sports activities,” the league said after Monday’s meeting. “The continuation of the league competition will continue in accordance with the rules of the International and European Football Federation (Fifa and Uefa, op. A.), Figc and in accordance with the medical protocols for the protection of players,” they added.
They hope that football will be resumed as soon as possible but cannot be taken for granted
They have not been playing football in Italy since March 9. The Italian authorities have extended the restrictive measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus until 3 May. Sport Minister Vincenzo Spadafora will meet with representatives of the Italian Football Federation in the middle of the week to present a protocol of measures for the gradual launch of football. Even before the meeting, the Minister warned that he was not convinced that Serie A teams would be able to continue training at the beginning of May.
“The inevitable world of football must inevitably start again, hopefully as soon as possible, but we cannot take it again for granted unless the situation in the country allows it,” Spadafora said as a guest on Tg2 Post.
‘I don’t want to give false hope’
“The fourth of May is the day when we will start our activities slowly in Italy. They have to understand in football that this will not be immediate. I will carefully evaluate the possibility of football players being able to start coaching again, but I do not want to give false hope that training will continue. it also means continuing the championship, “the minister warned.
The president of the Italian Football Association, Gabriel Gravina, on Friday suggested that the Serie A would be resumed in late May or early June if they wanted to reduce the financial damage suffered by the clubs should the season be canceled. Gravina said that those individuals who agitate for the cancellation of the championship “do not like football and the Italians.” Gravina believes that after the end of the lockout, football players will have enough three weeks to prepare for the matches.
