ROME – Italian soccer boss Gabriele
Gravina is refusing to write off the Serie A season due to the
coronavirus outbreak, saying the league could extend into July
and August if necessary.
Italy has seen more coronavirus fatalities than any other
country, with latest figures showing that 7,503 people have died
from the infection in barely a month.
The northern region of Lombardy, by far the hardest-hit,
showed a steep decline in the number of deaths and new
infections in the latest figures on Wednesday, raising hopes
that the epidemic may be slowing at its original epicentre.
However, optimism was tempered by warnings from the south,
where contagion and deaths are far less widespread but are
rising steadily.
Serie A has been suspended since March 9 and players from
several clubs have tested positive for the virus.
"I don't give up easily," Gravina, the president of the
Italian Football Federation (FIGC), said in an interview with
Radio Marte.
"As long as there is a chance, I will keep alive the hope of
restarting the championships. I am aware that it is premature to
think about a date, but we must think positively, also for the
health of the Italians, and hope that this situation ends as
soon as possible."
There are 12 match days still to play, plus several
outstanding matches, and Gravina estimated the league could be
completed in 45 to 60 days. "If we are given the month of July
and August, that could be the right period," he said.
He also stood by an earlier suggestion to use a playoff
system to decide the league if there was not enough time to
complete the original schedule, and said it could be a
interesting idea for the future.
"I proposed it only as a lifeboat. But for the future we'll
work on it because, for me, it remains an interesting idea and I
hope one day it can be shared by the protagonists, so as to give
even more interest to Serie A".