Serie A Clubs Agree to June 13 Return Date Pending Government Approval
May 13, 2020
Serie A is aiming for a June 13 return after conducting a video call with its 20 clubs, according to the Associated Press.
The league is still waiting for approval from the Italian government before it can cement the date for its restart.
"As far as the resumption of sports activities is concerned, the date of June 13 for the resumption of the championship has been indicated ... in accordance with medical protocols for the protection of players and all those involved," Serie A said in a statement.
The Italian Olympic Committee suspended all sporting events on March 9 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Italy was one of the hardest-hit countries early in the pandemic, with one medical official positing Atalanta's 4-1 Champions League win over Valencia on Feb. 19 helped accelerate the spread.
With the pandemic slowing across parts of Europe, some leagues are beginning to slowly come back.
The Bundesliga is resuming Saturday with seven matches and then three more fixtures across Sunday and Monday.
The United Kingdom informed the Premier League it may pursue a resumption as early as June 1, but the matter is far from resolved.
The Washington Post's Steven Goff reported Major League Soccer is aiming to start training June 1 ahead of staging matches starting July 1. All teams would be stationed in Orlando, Florida.
Juventus lead Serie A with 63 points through 26 matches. Lazio are in second with 62 points, while Inter Milan are nine points back in third but have one match in hand.
Bleacher Report's David Gardner interviews athletes and other sports figures for the podcast How to Survive Without Sports.