Rome (AFP)
Football made its comeback Friday night in Italy, one of the countries most affected by the coronavirus, with the kick-off at 7:00 p.m. GMT of the match Juventus-AC Milan in the semi-final return of the Italian Cup, more than three months after the last disputed meeting on the Peninsula.
The second semi-final will be played on Saturday between Naples and Inter Milan and the final is scheduled for Wednesday in Rome. Interrupted on March 9 in the face of the progression of the virus, which has killed more than 34,000 people in Italy, the championship will resume on June 20.
Before the match, disputed behind closed doors, the players and staff members observed a minute of silence in memory of the victims of the pandemic. They then applauded at length three representatives of the nursing staff present at the center of the field.
On the AC Milan jersey, a badge has been affixed, dedicated to the doctors, nurses, paramedics and volunteers who fought against the virus. On this badge appear a rainbow and the phrase "andra tutto bene" (all will be well, note), two of the symbols of Italy of containment.
During the warm-up, the players of the two teams wore uniforms with anti-racist messages, while the protests multiply in the world after the death in the United States of George Floyd during his arrest by the police of Minneapolis.
Cristiano Ronaldo and the other Turinese warmed up with t-shirts on which we could read on the back "No Racism".
As for AC Milan players, their warm-up shirts were crossed out on the front of the inscription "Black lives matter".
© 2020 AFP