Footballers can return to training in Italy on May 18, according to the nationwide address of Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.
Italy was the worst-hit country in the world as far as the coronavirus pandemic is concerned before the country was overtaken by the United States of America.
The country has recorded over 197,675 confirmed cases of coronavirus and also recorded over 26,644 COVID-19 related deaths.
Over two months ago, the Prime Minister of Italy announced a total lockdown in the country in order to contain the spread of the dreaded virus. However, on Sunday night, April 26, 2020, Conte announced that the lockdown will be relaxed on May 4th since the rate of deaths and infections have drastically reduced.
He also announced that athletes are allowed to engage in individual training from the 4th of May.
No resumption date in Italy yet
In the same light, the Prime Minister instructed that football training can resume in groups two weeks after the lockdown has been relaxed. Conte noted that the date for the resumption of the suspended championships in Italy would be announced based on close monitoring of the situation.
“Minister for Sport, Vincenzo Spadafora, will work alongside experts and the football league system to find a path that we have already started to define with individual training from May 4 and group sessions from May 18, the Prime Minister said.
“We will then evaluate if the conditions are in place to be able to complete the suspended leagues. If we do reach that conclusion, we’ll certainly do so while guaranteeing maximum safety measures.
“We love our footballing idols and don’t want them to get ill.”
The Italian Serie A has been suspended since March 9 due to the coronavirus pandemic and the Prime Minister’s order for total lockdown. Before it was suspended, Juventus was leading the league table.
The league has at least twelve round of games to complete the full season while the Italian Cup was suspended before the first leg of the semi-finals could be played.
Earlier in April, the president of Italian Football Federation, Gabriele Gravina, says all the players of the league could be subjected to testing for coronavirus before the Serie A resumes. If that plan still stands, the testing could commence on May 4.
