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Decision on Serie A resumption due May 28 following protocol approvals

A final decision on the restarting of Serie A will be made before the end of this month. The Ital...



Decision on Serie A resumption...
Soccer

Decision on Serie A resumption due May 28 following protocol approvals

A final decision on the restarting of Serie A will be made before the end of this month.

The Italian government’s technical scientific committee panel (CTS) has approved amended medical protocols surrounding a return to play.

Players will now be allowed to resume group training.

It's hoped Italy's top flight can resume in mid-June, and a decision will be made on May 28.

Italy has been one of the worst hit countries in Europe with over 32,000 deaths and while the rate of new cases per day is continuing to drop, there are still over 66,000 active cases.

The Italian minister for Sport, Vincenzo Spadafora, expressed his desire to see the Italian top-flight season get back underway but was understandably hesitant to set any dates just yet.

"If the contagion curve goes down, we can confirm the expected date for the restart but we have to get there gradually, moving with caution and responsibility", he said

One of the stumbling blocks towards a return has been medical protocols drawn up by the Lega Serie A, association of club medics and the Italian Players Association.

There has been no Serie A action since 9 March and there is currently a ban in place, signed by the prime minister, on "any event and sporting competition of any order and discipline" until June 14.

Clubs had been against a 15-day closed-0ff retreat prior to a resumption, but that has been replaced by an increase in testing.

According to La Repubblica, there will be two swabs in the first 24 hours, then another every four days and blood tests every 14 days.

Under the previous draft, clubs would have been ordered to isolate en masse for a fortnight if one member tested positive.

"This seems like excellent news, so the training sessions can resume," Spadafora told Rai Sport. 

"The FIGC was ready to review the first proposal. There is also clarification on the timing of quarantine and the isolation of any players who test positive.

"Once again, it’s crucial that the swabs are not taken away from the needs of the general public.

"We have been able to reach this agreement on the quarantine because the situation overall has improved, allowing us to review the rules.

"It’s only right that during a period when all Italians are starting to ease the lockdown measures, football too should be allowed to resume in safety.

"By May 28, we will be able to decide the date for when Serie A can resume and if it can resume.

"I called a meeting for May 28 with FIGC President Gabriele Gravina, Lega Serie A President Paolo Dal Pino and all the other components. That is when we’ll have the statistics in front of us and can decide."

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FIGC Premier League Serie A Vincenzo Spadafora