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Serie A could resume on June 13 or 20: Italy Sports Minister

May 25, 2020 13:01 IST

Defending champions Juventus were a point clear of Lazio after 26 games when the league was halted.

IMAGE: Defending champions Juventus were a point clear of Lazio after 26 games when the league was halted. Photograph: Massimo Pinca/Reuters

Italy's Sports Minister Vincenzo Spadafora said that Serie A season could resume on June 13 or 20 after the coronavirus-enforced break.

COVID-19 has wreaked havoc globally, with the Serie A campaign suspended in March due to the pandemic. A decision on the season is expected on Thursday as Serie A looks to follow in the footsteps of Germany's Bundesliga, which resumed on May 16.

"We are working on two possible dates to begin Serie A games, on June 13 or 20," Goal.com quoted Spadafora as saying to Rai TG3.

 

"The protocol arrived for resuming the season and it is very similar to the one that was agreed for training. On Thursday, we'll decide if and when to resume," he added.

Defending champions Juventus were a point clear of Lazio after 26 games when the league was halted.

"This emergency has shown some critical issues in the world of football that we will face in a general reform that will happen before the end of the summer," Spadafora said.

"Among those issues, we include allowing women's football players to become professional athletes," he added.

If Serie A starts in the mid of June, it will become the third European football league to resume after Bundesliga and La Liga.

The Spanish league will restart on June 8 after the government gave approval for a professional soccer league to go ahead.

Earlier, The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has said that the current season of the Serie A will be finished by August 20 as the body has set September 1 for the commencement of 2020-2021 season.

Source: ANI