The worsening situation with the coronavirus infection COVID-19 forced the Italian authorities to impose quarantine throughout the country. The corresponding decree was signed by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.
At a press conference, he announced an increase in the number of infected, as well as the number of deaths. In order to avoid the further spread of the epidemic, it was decided to limit the movement of citizens throughout the country. An exception is emergency trips for work, as well as for medical reasons and in cases of emergency. Among other things, entertainment facilities were closed and all public events, including sports competitions, were canceled. The ban will last until April 3.
“We are considering more stringent measures regarding sports events. Serie A and all tournaments in general are suspended. Let all the fans have this in mind. There is no reason to continue the competition, ”Conte said.
The decision of the authorities put an end to the conflict that erupted the other day in Italian football. Initially, the local federation decided to hold matches of all divisions without spectators. However, with the aggravation of the situation, many came out with an appeal to completely abandon the continuation of the championship so as not to endanger the health of athletes.
The head of the Italian Players Association, Damiano Tommasi, threatened the football authorities with a boycott if the games were held according to the schedule.
“Let's stop the championship! What else do we need? Stop football! ” - wrote Tommasi on his Twitter page, accompanying the post with the hashtag #health in the first place.
He was joined by the forward of “Brescia” Mario Balotelli. He did not agree with those who believe that with the cancellation of matches, fans lose their only joy.
“I love football more than you ... But games involve trips: buses, trains, planes, hotels and - inevitably - talking to other people in a non-working environment. Because of this damned coronavirus, I have already lost the opportunity to see my children. They, as you know, do not live in Lombardy, so the situation is already annoying and regrettable. And I certainly don’t want to infect my mom with whom I see and eat at the same table almost every day. We are not the same age as her ... With all my love for football (to which I owe everything I have), I will not risk her health! ” - quoted portal Balotelli portal Goal.com.
Subsequently, the Italian Olympic Committee made the same demand after consulting with the heads of sports federations.
The conflict reached its climax on Sunday during the match “Parma” - SPAL. Before the starting whistle, Italian Minister of Sports Vincenzo Spadafora called for an immediate suspension of the championship, the players had to return to the locker room. However, the Italian Football Federation refused to comply with the demand of the authorities, and after an hour and a half the meeting was nevertheless started. The remaining appointments scheduled for the same day were also not canceled.
Some football players called on fellow citizens to take the situation very seriously. So, Sassuolo striker Francesco Caputo after a match with Brescia showed a piece of paper on the camera that said “Everything will be fine, stay home,” and former Juventus and Zenit midfielder Claudio Marchisio sharply responded about quarantine violators.
“I appeal to those who left the red zone, because I really wanted to. To those who decided to meet friends because the school is closed. To those who can not refuse skis. To those who decided not to abandon their plans, no matter what. Looking at this photo, you don’t feel guilty? ” - Posted by Marchisio on Instagram.
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Posted by Claudio Marchisio (@ marchisiocla8) Mar 9, 2020 at 11:49 am PDT
There are 12 rounds left until Serie A ends, and many have expressed concern about the fate of the main trophy. The Italian media are considering several scenarios for the development of the situation, the worst of which is that the tournament will not be played out, and nobody will get the championship of the 2019/20 season. As for the Eurocups, the teams will take part in them in accordance with their current position in the standings, where Juventus is on the first line.
Of course, the Italian part of the Euro 2020 championship is also of concern. In particular, the opening match between Italy and Turkey should be held at the Olympic Stadium in Rome. At the same time, journalist Nicolo Skira said that the leadership of Serie A intends to ask the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) to postpone the start of the competition.
However, against the backdrop of a serious situation on the Apennine Peninsula, good news also appears. Tuscany Governor Enrico Rossi reported that one of the diseased players in the C Series Pianese team, who had previously been found to have a coronavirus, recovered completely. The fate of the other three representatives of the team, who also passed a positive analysis, is still unknown.