ROME: Italy’s Serie A was given the green light on Thursday to resume on June 20 after a three-month absence as one of the countries hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic begins to ease restrictions.
Sports Minister Vincenzo Spadafora said that the government’s Technical and Scientific Committee (CTS) had agreed to the health protocol proposed by Italian football chiefs.
“Italy has started to return to normal life again, it is only right that football should do the same,” said Spadafora.
“The federation assured me that it had a Plan B and a Plan C.
“In light of these considerations, the championship can resume on June 20.”
Italian football federation (FIGC) president Gabriele Gravina told the minister during the video conference that a play-off system would be used if the championship were again interrupted, while the existing standings would be used if it were stopped.
“We had a very useful meeting,” said Spadafora. “From the start, I said that football could restart once all the security conditions had been met.”
No top-flight matches in Italy have been played since Sassuolo beat Brescia 3-0 on March 9.
One of the hardest hit countries by the coronavirus pandemic with over 33,000 deaths, Italian football now faces a scheduling nightmare, for matches which will take place behind closed doors.
Lega Serie A will meet on Friday morning to examine “the different calendar hypotheses” for the remaining Serie A and Italian Cup matches, amounting to 127 in total.
Most teams have 12 league games left to play, but there were four postponed fixtures.
Spadafora suggested that the Italian Cup could be concluded the week before the return to Serie A action.
The semifinal return leg matches between Inter Milan and Napoli and AC Milan and Juventus, could be played on June 13-14 with the final on June 17.
“I also hope to be able to send a positive signal to the whole country by taking advantage of the week from June 13 to 20 to conclude the Italian Cup,” he added.
The announcement of the resumption of the Italian league comes just after the English Premier League confirmed it will restart on June 17.
The German championship has already resumed and Spain’s La Liga will return to the pitch the week of June 8.
Among the five major European championships, only the French Ligue 1 has been definitively stopped.
“I’m happy and satisfied,” said Gravina. “The restart of football represents a message of hope for the whole country.”
But many issues remain to be resolved including match schedules, players’ contracts which end on June 30, and unpaid TV rights by broadcasters.
“Footballers are not robots, there are concerns,” said Damiano Tommasi, president of the players’ union.
“A critical issue is (playing a) match at 4.30pm which in June and July in Italy is unthinkable,” added the former Italy and Roma player.
The thorniest issue remains the two-week quarantine period in the case of a positive test, which Spadafora insisted would remain.
“The CTS agreed with the medical protocol, but confirmed the absolute necessity for a quarantine period if a player were to test positive,” said Spadafora, who did not exclude future changes to the rule.
“I’m ready to bet on the resumption of the championship, but with this rule of quarantine of 14 days, the possibilities of concluding it are not high,” said Enrico Castellacci, president of the Italian Football Doctors Association.
“It’s a crime. I’m not going to quarantine 50 healthy people. We don’t do this if there is a positive case in a factory,” argued Lazio doctor Ivo Pulcini, with the Roman club committed to a resumption of the season, as they sit just one point behind leaders Juventus.
Italy’s Serie A to resume on June 20
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Italy’s Serie A to resume on June 20
- ‘Italy has started to return to normal life again, it is only right that football should do the same’
President, fan support key in decision to stay: Barca coach Xavi
- This week, after a meeting with president Joan Laporta and the board, Xavi pulled off a dramatic U-turn and decided to stay
- “It was a not a simple decision, in January I said (I would leave) because I thought it was best for the club,” Xavi told a news conference
BARCELONA: Xavi Hernandez said Thursday he has decided to stay on as Barcelona coach for a “cocktail of reasons,” including support from key figures at the club and supporters.
In January, with Barcelona on a miserable run of form, Xavi said he would walk away from his post in the summer despite having a year left on his contract.
However, this week, after a meeting with president Joan Laporta and the board, Xavi pulled off a dramatic U-turn and decided to stay, despite the club poised to end the season trophyless.
Barcelona were knocked out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain last week and lost against Real Madrid in the Clasico, trailing their rivals by 11 points in La Liga.
“It was a not a simple decision, in January I said (I would leave) because I thought it was best for the club,” Xavi told a news conference.
“I am full of hope, these three months have made me change, the players believe in it, and wise people are willing to rectify, here I am.
“It’s not about ego, or money, I have energy, I see the fans are happy and proud — it’s a cocktail of reasons, above all the confidence of the president and (sporting director) Deco.”
Xavi said although the team he took to La Liga glory last season have failed to achieve their objectives, they have now proved they can equal Europe’s best sides.
“Above all I said yesterday to Deco, the president... that the team has improved a lot,” explained Xavi.
“Two years ago we went to Bayern (Munich) and I had the feeling that we weren’t up to it. Now I think we’re in shape to compete with the biggest teams in Europe.
“I have the feeling that this year (the Champions League) escaped us by just a couple of small things, we will try again, I’m excited to — now it’s in our hands.”
Xavi said reports he was only staying because of money were designed to “hurt” him.
In January he claimed coaching Barcelona was “unpleasant” and “cruel,” and Xavi said he did not expect that to change.
“Coaching here is very hard, but I see myself with the energy to keep leading the project,” he added.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta said he was glad Xavi was staying and that it was good for the stability of the club.
“It’s great news that Xavi is staying,” said Laporta.
“The team we have, that is (still) consolidating, with very young players, needs that stability.
“Xavi is a reference for young players and we can see that — today I’m especially pleased, and the board have unanimously supported this decision.”
Professional Fighters League confirms debut fight card for Riyadh
- Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Al-Qahtani takes on Morocco’s Taha Bendaoud in a featherweight main event
- Season opener scheduled for The Green Halls in Riyadh on Friday, May 10
RIYADH: The Professional Fighters League has announced the matchups for its debut PFL MENA: Riyadh fight card which will feature some of the region’s rising stars.
The season opener at The Green Halls in Riyadh will feature fighters in the featherweight and bantamweight divisions, competing in the PFL Playoff win-and-advance format, the company announced on Thursday.
Headlining the card will be Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah “The Reaper” Al-Qahtani taking on Morocco’s Taha Bendaoud in a featherweight bout.
“We’re proud to offer fighters in the MENA region a chance to compete. By bringing top-tier events to the region, we’re not only serving passionate MMA fans but also pushing the sport forward. Our goal is to grow MMA and expand PFL’s reach globally,” Pete Murray, CEO of PFL, said.
All four PFL MENA Season events will be broadcast live on MBC Action and Shahid.
The complete fight card:
Featherweight: Abdullah Al-Qahtani vs Taha Bendaoud
Bantamweight: Ali Taleb vs Nawras Abzakh
Bantamweight: Xavier Alaoui vs Rachid El-Hazoume
Featherweight: Islam Reda vs Adam Meskini
Bantamweight: Tariq Ismail vs Jalal Al-Daaja
Bantamweight: Elias Boudegzdame vs Hassan Mandour
Amateur Female Atomweight: Hattan Alsaif vs Nada Faheem
Featherweight: Maraoune Bellagouit vs Motaz Askar
Featherweight: Ahmed Tarek vs Abdelrahman Alhyasat
Showcase featherweight: Mido Mohamed vs Yazeed Hasanain
Showcase flyweight: Malik Basahel vs Harsh Pandya
Pakistan eye comeback against New Zealand in fourth T20I today
- A second-string New Zealand squad beat Pakistan by seven wickets on Sunday in Rawalpindi
- Skipper Babar Azam says pacers Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah have ability to make comeback
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will be eyeing a comeback today, Thursday, in the fourth match of the T20I series against New Zealand in Lahore after suffering a defeat at the hands of a second-string Kiwi squad last week.
Pakistan will head into today’s match against Michael Bracewell’s squad without star batter and wicketkeeper Muhammad Rizwan, who has been pulled from the series after he felt discomfort in his right hamstring.
New Zealand are missing key players including Trent Boult and skipper Kane Williamson as they opted to play in the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) while pulled out of the Pakistan series due to injuries.
Despite that, the Kiwis managed to beat Pakistan on Sunday by seven wickets in Rawalpindi, shocking the 2009 T20I world champions on their own turf.
“We did not lose because of any two or three players,” Pakistan captain Babar Azam said at a press conference in Lahore on Wednesday night. “We lost as a team. In the batting, bowling and fielding [areas] we did collapse a little.”
Pakistan’s premium fast bowlers Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi failed to impress against New Zealand in the third T20I. However, Azam backed both bowlers, describing them as Pakistan’s “best” bowlers.
“They know how to make a comeback, even if it [bad performance] happens in one game. It is part of life,” he said. “It can’t happen that one person performs every single day.”
The series is an important one for both sides as they gear up for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and USA scheduled to be held in June.
The last match of the Pakistan-New Zealand series will be played in Lahore on May 27. Pakistan and New Zealand have both won one match against each other so far, with the first T20I fixture washed away by rain.
The match begins at 7:30 p.m. Pakistan Standard Time.
UAE jiu-jitsu team eye fourth consecutive Asia title
- Eighth edition of the Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championships will run from May 3-8 at Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi
ABU DHABI: The adult UAE Jiu-Jitsu national teams are looking to claim a fourth consecutive title at the eighth Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championships set to take place at Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Arena from May 3 to 8.
The championships will have more than 1,500 athletes competing from over 30 countries.
Competitions for adults will run from May 3 to 5, while the Asian Youth Championship — a new addition this year — will be held from May 6 to 8.
The UAE were crowned champions in the last edition held in Bangkok last year.
The youth team are eyeing the inaugural title, building on their success from last year at the 28th Jiu-Jitsu World Championship in Kazakhstan.
Mubarak Al-Menhali, director of the technical department at the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, said: “We are providing the team with all the support they need as they prepare to defend the title. We have full faith in their capabilities to deliver valiant performances, as they have done in the past few years, positioning themselves as continental champions.”
“The skills and determination displayed by our heroes is a result of the limitless support of the wise leadership, the continuous efforts of the UAEJJF, their endless passion, and the continuous encouragement from Emirati fans.”
Ramon Lemos, head coach of the national team, said: “Our athletes have consistently been adhering to the technical team’s instructions and plans, translating them into results, bringing in medals and titles. They are fully committed, focused, and more determined than ever, and we are confident that they are capable of clinching the title again.”
Ibrahim Al-Hosani, coach of the youth team, said: “Many of the male and female athletes taking part in the competitions of the Asian Youth Championship are emerging stars who are well-prepared to win titles and take the UAE’s journey of success in jiu-jitsu forward. We have full confidence in their abilities to shine and make history by becoming the first to achieve the title of the Jiu-Jitsu Youth Asian Championship.”
Khaled Al-Baloushi, a member of the national team, said: “This time I am stepping onto the mats as a brown belt holder, which is the result of 13 years of hard work and continuous training. I am fully aware of the responsibility entrusted to me, and I am more determined than ever to perform well and make the nation proud.”
