Serie A gets green light for 20 June restart

Italy's top-flight Serie A soccer league has been given the go-ahead to restart on 20 June following the novel coronavirus stoppage, sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora said on Thursday.

He added that there was a possibility the resumption of the season, which was suspended on 9 March, could be preceded by Italian Cup matches one week earlier.

"Italy is starting up again and it's only right that football can also get going," he told reporters after a conference call with representatives from the Italian Football Federation (FIGC).

Serie A will be the fourth of Europe's top five domestic leagues to restart following the Bundesliga, which resumed on 16 May, and La Liga and the English Premier League, which are also due to get under way again in June.

The French League ended the season last month with Paris St-Germain named Ligue 1 champions with 10 games left.

Spadafora said the Italian government approved health and safety measures suggested by the FIGC plus a backup plan in case the league had to be stopped again. "In the light of this we can say that the championship can start again on 20 June," he said.

There are 12 rounds of matches still to play, plus four outstanding games from previous rounds.

Juventus, chasing a ninth successive Serie A title, lead that table with 63 points from 26 games, one point ahead of Lazio who are unbeaten in their last 21 league games.

Inter Milan are a further eight points behind in third with one game in hand.

The Italian Cup still has the second legs of the Napoli-Inter and Juve-AC Milan semi-finals to play plus the final.

Spadafora said one possibility was to play the semi-finals on 13 June and the final three days later.

One of the conditions of the Serie A league restarting was that the coronavirus testing it will entail "should not affect the general needs of all Italian citizens," he added.

Spadafora also said if there are signs of a new increase in coronavirus cases in general the league may have to stop again.

"The restart of football is a message of hope for the whole country. I am happy and satisfied," said FIGC president Gabriele Gravina, adding that he also hoped the lower tiers Serie B and C plus the women's Serie A could also restart.