"Tell us what to do to return to play." Thus, according to the Italian media, the president of the Italian Federation (FIGC) Gabriele Gravina addressed Thursday to the Technical and Scientific Committee (CTS) which advises the government on the gradual restart of a country entirely confined between March 9 and May 4. The gap is illustrated by AC Milan sporting director Paolo Maldini and one of CTS members Alberto Villani. Thursday, the first, himself tested positive in March, insisted on Instagram on the duty "to try to return to the field". "Listen ... This virus has paralyzed the planet," replied the practitioner in the columns of La Repubblica. There are thousands of deaths, our health system almost collapsed, with an exhausted medical staff (...) Someone would ask the question of football if the bombs fell? Consider that we are at war, that there is an earthquake, that a tsunami is underway ”.
"Some countries like France and the United States made fun of us, now they take us as models," he said. In France, the authorities whistled for the end of the football season. In the United States, despite equally considerable financial challenges, most of the NBA Basketball Championship franchises do not seem ready to resume training quickly. Almost during the meeting between the CTS and the football authorities, two clubs, Fiorentina and Sampdoria Genoa announced ten positive cases, seven players and three members of the Viola management, all asymptomatic. The day before, the Torino had identified one, while individual training resumed. "So many extremely negative signals for a restart of the championship," said the daily Il Messagero.
Regular screening for each player
Especially since it collides with the Gordian knot of the discussions. The football world wants a German scenario, where only the infected would be put in isolation. The scientific committee insists that Calcio must comply with the general rule: those who have been in contact with positive cases should be isolated. The slightest positive screening after the resumption of collective training, hoped for May 18, would put the entire team on the sidelines ... Another obstacle: the protocol presented to the CTS provides for a regularly repeated screening for each player, which implies the acquisition of a considerable number of kits. Will the promise to seek them elsewhere than in regions in tension, notably Lombardy, extinguish all criticism in a country which has a considerable need for it? Finally, what will happen if in this decentralized country, regions prohibited the entry of visitors from affected sectors?
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Foreign stars have returned
“You have to be careful but not to start again would be a disaster, in every way. France was wrong to stop, ”said Paolo Maldini. One by one, the foreign stars are coming in: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus) at the start of the week, Franck Ribéry (Fiorentina) on Friday, soon Zlatan Ibrahimovic (AC Milan), a sign that the clubs intend to keep going. While Serie B and Serie C (2nd and 3rd divisions) seem close to announcing the end of their season, the decision on the elite could come at the next Council of Ministers in a few days. "I do not risk forecasts at this time, we must be careful and hope that by May 18" and the resumption of collective training, "the data on the contagion will be positive in order to resume slowly," said the Minister of Sports Vincenzo Spadafora. If it were to be resumed, it will be in camera, he warned. "We live in a European context, we must seek to harmonize," said one of Italy's main health officials, Silvio Brusaferro, on Friday. An opinion that gives no clue: some will look to Germany, others to France.
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