Italy: Serie A prepares match protocol

New Emblem of the Italian Serie A. Called Serie A TIM for sponsorship reasons. Officially founded 1898 (122 years ago). There are 20 teams in the Serie A.

The FIGC is finalising the new proposed protocol for Serie A matches, including special measures to isolate players, quick-response COVID-19 tests and potentially shorter quarantine periods.


Teams were finally able to start group training this week, as the Government agreed the medical protocol for players and staff to reduce social distancing.

The next step is to work out how they can stage games – including trips to different cities – in safety.

According to the Corriere dello Sport, La Repubblica and other newspapers, the draft document will be presented to the Government on Monday and is extremely detailed. When players travel to away games, they must remain isolated, which means fully disinfecting the bus, securing just one carriage for the squad in a train or organising charter flights with the bus taking them straight from the tarmac to the stadium. When staying in a hotel, the players and staff will be given their own exclusive entrance and exit to keep away from the general public or even the personnel who work there. The most important step may well be in the testing, as it’s reported the FIGC are hoping to secure some quick-response COVID-19 kits.

These should be able to give a verdict within 10 minutes and can therefore be done just before a match. As for the quarantine, it’s suggested they are ready to accept the two-week period, hoping it can be negotiated down to one if the pandemic continues to ease throughout the country. The idea is that if a player or member of staff tests positive for coronavirus, he will be isolated for two weeks, while the rest of the group will continue to train in a camp and take extra tests. Serie A games are currently on track to resume from June 13 or 20. Football-Italia