“We're working to restart football in a safe manner and not to simply restart it. We’ll continue to hold discussions with the relevant institutions in a cooperative spirit, as we’ve always done. We’ll make proposals and take observations on board and suggest solutions.” This is what President Gabriele Gravina had to say regarding the path that the FIGC is taking to help restart what is a very important industry for the country from a sporting, production and occupational point of view within a reasonable timeframe. “We’ve always said that we’d like to restart once the right conditions are in place and Government proposals allow us to do so. We’re convinced of the path that we’ve taken because ours is a serious and responsible approach, the only one that serves the general interest of the system and Italian sport which, for several reasons, would also be damaged by the Serie A season being abandoned.”

With this in mind, and having noted the observations made about its health protocol last week, the FIGC has asked for a hearing with the Scientific and Technical Committee, which is assisting the Government in managing the Covid-19 emergency, with the aim being to go down a shared path. “The FIGC Medical and Scientific Commission has drawn up a very rigorous protocol, just like all the other sectors which are looking to restart,” said the FIGC President. But we’re ready to supplement and modify it by incorporating recommendations from the Commission and CONI (Italian National Olympic Committee) as well as recognising the FMSI (Italian Sports Medicine Federation) as a scientific reference to harmonise everything. Once improved, there will be all the prerequisites to get the definitive go-ahead starting from 18 May.

“We’re focused on negotiating the most delicate phase of the emergency caused by the coronavirus pandemic,” added Gravina. “We’re working constantly to establish the best conditions to ensure the completion of the leagues that have been brought to a halt, planning every step to be taken in a responsible way. We’re also taking future scenarios into account. The Federal Council will convene on 8 May to outline the regulatory framework in which we will operate.”

The President concluded with the following words: “In a delicate moment such as this, a period where it’s been necessary to differentiate between individual and collective sports, I, as a simple football fan, invite us all to put aside any differences and work together as a team to overcome this crisis.”