Serie A: Italy eases quarantine restrictions on football teams

Rome, June 19 (IANS) The Italian Health Ministry has eased quarantine restrictions for football teams in case of a positive test for COVID-19. Health Minister Roberto Speranza gave permission for teams to go through a soft quarantine in case of a positive test meaning that only the infected person needs to be isolated if such a situation arises.

Italian Football Federation President Gabriele Gravina hailed it as a major step for the Serie A to resume.

“The missive that regulates the quarantine for professional sports teams, as indicated by the CTS, is another step forward for the completion of this sporting season,” FIGC President Gabriele Gravina is quoted as saying by Football Italia.

“I hope that now with a great sense of responsibility, starting from the fans who fuel their passion for football every day, that we can behave in a way that avoids making these efforts in vain.”

The Serie A is set to to resume on Saturday with the first match being between Torino and Parma.

Football in the country restarted with a Coppa Italia semi-final second leg between Juventus and AC Milan, while Napoli were hosting Inter Milan in the other tie a day later.

Gravina had earlier said that he hopes fans can return to the stadiums by next month.

“I’m happy but there is still one piece missing, which is the participation of the fans and I hope they can return very quickly. I hope it will be the beginning of July — the first week or mid-July at the latest,” he said.

“This will mean that our country has thrown off those final restrictions and that we’ve come out of this particularly dark moment for our country.”

–IANS

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