FIGC President Gabriele Gravina said Serie A “must be ready” to act fast and resume training, as medics work out the protocol for ensuring safety when the coronavirus pandemic eases in Italy.
Experts state that figures are slowing down for new cases, deaths and intensive care unit admissions, as they have gone past the peak and plateau, so can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
The idea of the season resuming on May 20-28 seems realistic now, so today a video conference call was held by the Federal Medical Commission, including doctors from several hospitals around the country.
“If and when we get the green light to gradually resume the sport, the world of football must be ready,” said President Gravina.
“That is the aim of our medical commission. Considering the role that football plays in Italian society, I am convinced that we can give an important contribution to the whole country.”
A protocol was largely worked out, but has not yet been defined.
It will include splitting squads into groups, performing diagnostic tests that include molecular, blood and serological examinations.
“The protocol concerning footballers and members of staff already infected and ‘cured’ of COVID-19 was also discussed. The diagnostic tests indicated for this category will follow a protocol appropriate to the clinical severity of the infection suffered (with particular attention to the respiratory and cardiovascular system).
“In the discussion, it was recommended that ‘team groups’ should initially meet in ‘closed’ environments (e.g. sports centres, training centres and the like), which would obviously need to be sanitised and in line with all the hygienic-behavioural norms, even for those who do not belong to the restricted group.”
Effectively, the squads would be split into the groups of those who are positive and therefore separated, players who developed the antibodies and those who do not have the antibodies.
Source: m.allfootballapp.com