October 2 – As widely anticipated, Saturday’s Serie A game between Genoa and Torino has been postponed after 15 positive Covid-19 tests among the Genovese staff and players as the virus continues to disrupt a spate of clubs across the Continent.
The fixture is the first in Serie A to be called off because of the coronavirus pandemic since the championship started on September 19.
In a statement, Genoa, hammered 6-0 at Napoli in their last Italian top-flight match, said they had “activated all procedures” and “informed the authorities”.
A meeting of the Extraordinary Council of the Serie A confirmed the application of UEFA rules whereby a match can only take place as long as a side have 13 healthy players, including a goalkeeper. Genoa published a list of 11 players and four staff members who had contracted the virus.
Torino president Urbano Cairo hit out at Italian football chiefs’ tardiness in deciding on whether to play the game. “The important thing is that a rule had to be established, like UEFA did some time ago by establishing when to play and when not to play,” Cairo told Sky Sports Italia.
We are very late and this is a shame. I think it should have been done earlier because it was easy to predict that situations of this type could occur in autumn.”
Italian football federation president (FIGC) Gabriele Gravina responded by insisting the body had “always acted to protect health and will continue to do so”.
There are also concerns about Napoli players, with eight of Genoa’s 11 positive players having taken the field in Naples. Napoli are due to play champions Juventus in Turin on Sunday.
The new season got underway in Italy with a maximum 1,000 spectators allowed into stadiums unlike, say, the English Premier League which is still behind closed doors.
Other teams have had individual cases with AC Milan star Zlatan Ibrahimovic in quarantine after testing positive last week, leading to a debate over whether the championship should be suspended. Sports Minister Vincenzo Spadafora insisted, however, “the conditions to stop the season have not been met”.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1714089358labto1714089358ofdlr1714089358owedi1714089358sni@w1714089358ahsra1714089358w.wer1714089358dna1714089358