Draghi: without respecting the rules, Serie A will return behind closed doors

The premier’s concern: distancing and masks in the stadiums The FIGC president asks for a signal (reduce capacity) but the clubs are blocking

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The nightmare of closed doors is back on the championship. The fear became concrete after a phone call from Mario Draghi to the president of the FIGC, Gabriele Gravina. The premier explained that it is no longer possible to continue with the gatherings of too many fans without a mask in the stadiums. Inside the government, the rigorist wing is pressing, led by the Minister of Health Roberto Speranza, who in recent days had advocated the suspension of Serie A. Draghi asked to enforce the distance and the obligation to wear a mask, otherwise the doors will click closed. Gravina tried to mediate with the clubs, yesterday videos linked in the assembly. The FIGC president has suggested a relaxing gesture with a self-reduction of the capacity now set at 50%, in order to save at least the 5 thousand entrances to the welcoming areas of sponsors in the most profitable sectors. Otherwise, clubs should consider stopping the league and restarting with the public in a less severe epidemiological phase.

The companies have pushed back by arguing that it is up to politics to make such a decision. It is impossible to ask football to adopt a measure that would cause heavy damage: “We are like a manufacturing company whose machines keep turning off – complains a manager – so we fail.” Serie A does not understand the need to differentiate Italy from other major European leagues, in the presence of similar numbers of infections.

The stadiums are 100% open in England and 75% in Spain. But they are behind closed doors in Germany. And just 5,000 are admitted to France. In case of further closure, the presidents are demanding compensation similar to those earmarked for the entertainment world. Lega Serie A was blown away by Draghi’s phone call the day after the launch of the control room coordinated by Valentina Vezzali, Undersecretary for Sport, to standardize the interventions of the ASL that blocked four matches on the day of the Epiphany (yesterday also extended to basketball and volleyball who had protested for exclusion).

Serie A has kept faith in its intention to appeal to the TAR against the Asl. It did so in Piedmont, Campania, Emilia Romagna and Friuli Venezia Giulia for the stops imposed on Turin, Salernitana, Bologna and Udinese. Something is moving for the 2nd return matches of these teams. Verona-Salernitana could be played tomorrow and Turin-Fiorentina on Monday. Udinese-Atalanta could also be played on Monday, but yesterday the Friulians had five other cases of Covid. Towards the postponement Cagliari-Bologna. To go beyond this complex dialectic between football and ASL, the first operational meeting of the control room scheduled for Wednesday will be needed. Via Rosellini and the government are annoyed with those presidents who put pressure on local health authorities. With health at the center of the scene, a doctor could only take on a leading role: Alberto Zangrillo, the new president of Genoa. Juve asked the San Raffaele resuscitation head physician to lead the contacts with the government.

But Zangrillo preferred to decline. Then he had an exchange of views with Urbano Cairo, very critical of the protocol launched by the League to play with at least 13 players, including Primavera. The owner of the Taurus isn’t the only one puzzled. Naples and Udinese are of the same opinion. Since yesterday, however, the main concerns are other. The specter of closed doors has reappeared despite the Super Green Pass asked of the fans. Serie A believed they had done enough. Palazzo Chigi thinks differently. –