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Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo shows his dejection during their Serie A match against Frosinone, Turin, Italy, February 15, 2019. /VCG
The Italian football season finally entered the final stretch of the restart plan. After three months of coronavirus-forced hiatus, Serie A is expected to make an eagerly awaited return on June 20. But a key question still lingers: what if the hasty resumption of games in Italy sets off a fresh wave of infections and the season cannot be finished?
During a video conference late on Monday, Serie A representatives unanimously voted in favor of a proposal calling for no champion being given should the league be stopped again due to the COVID-19 crisis.
Italy's football federation (FIGC) confirmed that if circumstances permit, a playoff system will be set up to determine final league positions in the event of a new coronavirus disruption. The format of the playoffs, including the number of teams involved, is yet to be finalized.
However, if the playoff plan proves impossible, an algorithm will be used as a last resort to decide the standings. In this case, the Serie A title will not be awarded this season.
Juventus players during a training session at JTC, Turin, Italy, June 8, 2020. /VCG
This is bad news for Cristiano Ronaldo's Juventus, who are seeking their ninth-straight league title and leads second-placed Lazio by one point.
"Football is the winner today, with regards to consistency," FIGC President Gabriele Gravina told reporters after the meeting. "From the outset, we all supported the need to stay in the international scene. Italy is one of the big five leagues in European football. We made the decision to finish our competitions and we'll continue on this path."
"A mini-tournament is always better than an algorithm, which has been clarified anyway: it's a weighted average that takes into account the weight derived from the average number of points picked up at home and away from home, multiplied by the remaining games," he added.
Gravina also announced that if a team is found to have breached the strict medical guidelines established for games resumption, it could face sanctions ranging from a hefty fine to being ejected from the topflight.
Italian Football Federation (FIGC) Chairman Gabriele Gravina speaks during a press conference at "Hotel dei Principi", Rome, Italy, November 19, 2019. /VCG
Meanwhile, the transfer market for Italian clubs, which was originally scheduled to open on July 1 and shut on September 2, will now run from September 1 to October 5, according to statement released by FIGC.
The Sky sports revealed that the English Football Association is also discussing proposals by Premier League sides to move the summer transfer window to August until October.
FIFA said earlier that it will provide guidance on the parameters between which new windows can be set, and it is then down to individual associations to finalize specific dates.
