The Italian chief expressed his joy after it was announced that football can return from June 20 with government approval
Italian Football Federation (FIGC) president Gabriele Gravina said the green light to resume Serie A from June 20 was “a message of hope for the whole country.”
Italy’s minister for sport Vincenzo Spadafora made the announcement on Thursday, with the Coppa Italia semi-finals and final expected to take place during the preceding week.
Football in Italy has been suspended since March due to the coronavirus pandemic and all Serie A teams have 12 or 13 games remaining.
There have been over 231,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the country, with more than 33,000 of those people dying.
Gravina said: “The restart of football represents a message of hope for the whole country.
“I am happy and satisfied. It is a success we share with minister Spadafora and all the federal components.
“Ours is a project of great responsibility because it invests everything in the professional world of Serie A, B, C and, hopefully, also the women’s Serie A.”
Lega Serie A president Paolo Dal Pino also welcomed the news of Serie A’s impending return.
“I thank minister Spadafora and his staff. We have faced an extraordinary period, complex and full of obstacles and pressures, with consistency, determination and spirit of public service,” said Dal Pino.
“We were always working with a single thought: what is best for football and its future, which for Serie A means returning to being the most beautiful championship in the world.
“Only with this spirit will we be able to repay the passion and enthusiasm of the millions of fans who follow our sport.”
If the action has to be stopped again, Spadafora stated the FIGC will determine whether to finish the season with play-offs or use the standings as they are at that point.
It was also announced on Thursday the Premier League plans to resume 2019-20 from June 17, having also suspended matches in March.
The Bundesliga returned this month and La Liga intends to get back underway in June, with only Ligue 1 from among Europe’s top-five leagues to declare the season over.
Paris Saint-Germain were subsequently named champions of France for a third consecutive year, but Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas called for authorities to reverse the decision in response to the Premier League’s ‘project restart.’ – Goal.com
