Serie A team training from Monday

MILAN • Serie A clubs can return to team training from next Monday if they make adjustments to proposed medical protocols, the Italian government has announced.

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) met the government's Technical Scientific Committee (CTS) last week to discuss details for a return to group training as the country slowly emerges from a two-month coronavirus lockdown.

Italian Sports Minister Vincenzo Spadafora and Health Minister Roberto Speranza issued a joint statement on Monday night that the CTS had largely accepted the FIGC protocol for a resumption of group sessions.

"The opinion requested by the government from the CTS confirms the line of prudence," they said.

"The indications of the CTS, which are to be considered stringent and binding, will be sent to the FIGC for the necessary adjustments of the protocol in order to allow for the safe resumption of team training starting from May 18."

Football has been suspended in Italy since March 9 amid the pandemic which has killed nearly 31,000 people in the country as of yesterday.

Last week, the Italian government allowed individual training sessions at club facilities, although many issues have yet to be decided, such as the quarantine of players in case of positive tests for the Covid-19 disease.

Italian football bosses want to follow the example of Germany, whose top flight Bundesliga returns to action on Saturday after a two-month shutdown, and where only positive cases would be isolated.

But the CTS has insisted Serie A clubs must comply with the general rule of two weeks in isolation for those who have been in contact with positive cases.

Since the return of individual training, Fiorentina and Sampdoria have announced 10 positive tests, along with a player from Torino.

There are still 13 rounds of football to be played for some teams, with the FIGC hoping play can resume some time next month.

However, Mr Spadafora remains unwilling to set a firm resumption date for the Serie A.

"Whether the championship can resume, we will have to wait at least another week to see how the curve of contagion evolves and then be able to decide," he said.

Still, many of the league's top foreign stars like Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo and AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic are already back in the country, with the Covid-19 crisis subsiding to a more manageable level.

Italy on Monday reported fewer than 1,000 people in intensive care for the first time since March 10 when it went into lockdown.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE