September 7 – With the Serie A season imminent, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has voiced his concern over fans attending matches, arguing that it would be inappropriate at the present time.
Last March, Italy became the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in Europe before the virus spread across the continent, but in August the number of cases rose again as the country slowly returned to a new normal.
Italian clubs however have been keen on allowing fans back into the stadiums as a way to mitigate the crippling financial fallout of the game’s shutdown, but Conte believes the timing is not right yet for fans to attend.
“The presence at the stadium and events where any large gathering is inevitable, not only in the stands but also in the entrance and exit phases, is absolutely inappropriate,” said Conte at a function organised by the Il Fatto Quatidiano newspaper.
Napoli and Sampdoria have already played in front of fans, albeit not at their home grounds. On Sunday, Parma reopened their Stadio Ennio Tardini with up to 1,000 fans in attendance for their friendly against Parma.
Fiorentina and Torino will kick off the new Serie A season on September 19.
Contact the writer of this story, Samindra Kunti, at moc.l1713517170labto1713517170ofdlr1713517170owedi1713517170sni@o1713517170fni1713517170