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Italy sports minister hoping for Serie A training to return on May 4

With Italy being one of the worst-hit countries by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Serie A got the suspension extended in the first week of April.

Italy sports minister hoping for Serie A training to return on May 4

(From L) Juventus' Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, Juventus' Argentinian forward Gonzalo Higuain, Juventus' Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo, Juventus' Italian defender Leonardo Bonucci and Juventus' Bosnian midfielder Miralem Pjanic acknowledge the public at the end of the Italian Cup (Coppa Italia) round of 8 football match Juventus vs AS Roma on January 22, 2020 at the Juventus stadium in Turin. (Photo by Marco Bertorello / AFP)

Italy’s sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora is hoping to confirm May 4 as the return date for the country’s top-flight football competition, Serie A, training after the league was suspended last month till May 3 due to the deadly outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The next few weeks will be fundamental to understand the evolution of the healthcare situation and how, if and when we can get back to playing sport at all levels. We hope to confirm the May 4 date for a return to training as soon as possible,” Goal.com quoted Spadafora as saying.

I hope we can keep to that date, even if it is only for training behind closed doors. At this moment, our only concern must be the health and safety of the general,” the sports minister added.

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With Italy being one of the worst-hit countries by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Serie A, like all other sports fixtures, got its suspension extended in the first week of April. Italy, which is under lockdown, has seen the second-highest number of fatalities – over 21 thousand – due to the novel coronavirus.

“The Lega Serie A assembly meeting took place this afternoon, with all 20 clubs present via video conference. The position that emerged from talks between UEFA, ECA and the European Leagues held yesterday was represented at the meeting,” a statement on the official website of Serie A read.

“With regards to the possible completion of the remaining Serie A and Coppa Italia matches, Lega Serie A will only consider the resumption of sporting activity when health conditions allow it, adhering, as it has always done, to government decrees and taking into primary consideration the protection of the health of the players and all those involved,” it added.

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