ROME, May 14: Italy�s Serie A clubs have said they want to return to competition on June 13 if they get the all-clear from the government.
�Regarding the resumption of sports activities and in compliance with government decisions and in accordance with medical protocols for the protection of players the date of June 13 for the resumption of the championship has been indicated,� Lega Serie A said in a statement.
Sport in Italy has been suspended since March 9 amid the coronavirus pandemic which has killed over 31,000 people in the country.
All 20 top-flight clubs had already voted unanimously to finish the campaign but this is the first time a date has been set for a return.
Sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora told the Italian parliament he had received a letter from Italian Football Federation president Gabriele Gravina.
�(Gravina) informed me that the federation had followed all the recommendations of the Technical and Scientific Committee and had readjusted its protocol, thus allowing the resumption without further difficulty of collective training from May 18,� Spadafora said.
Italian teams returned to individual training on May 4 after a two-month lockdown, with group sessions now set for next Monday under very strict conditions.
There has been much debate over the quarantine period after a positive test, with government scientists seeking a two-week isolation period for those who have been in contact with the infected person.
Italian football chiefs have pushed back the end of the season to August 2, allowing time for the latter stages of the Champions League and Europa League to be played later in the month. � AFP
