The Prime Minister sweeps away the CTS doubts: Italy with the public in Rome Opening on 11 June at the Olimpico with 15,900 spectators. Serie A now hopes
Torino
Postponed, almost rejected and, now, back in the list of the twelve cities of the first, and only, European traveling football. Rome saves the three matches of Italy (plus a quarter-final), because, on penalties, Mario Draghi takes the field and his trajectory is surgical: yes to the presence of the public in the stands of the Olimpico, to the extent of at least 25 percent of the capacity of the Roman facility, and conditions dictated by the European football government met.
A matter of image, not to be missed. And, above all, a strong message in the direction of a very specific political vision: Prime Minister Draghi scores a concrete blow on the path of possible openings, because the decision on the Olimpico constitutes its baptism. The government thus closes a game that for the Scientific Technical Committee had to go to extra time: it is too premature to indicate, today, a number of appearances at the Olimpico, the position of the CTS which had given itself time until early May to draw a possible scenario.
On 11 June, Italy-Turkey will be played with fifteen thousand and 900 spectators, as well as Italy-Switzerland (16) and Italy-Wales (20) plus the quarter-final on 3 July. Spectators vaccinated or with a quick test carried out on the stadium square in their pockets: the government scientists will write the safety protocol and it will be very strict.
The rest will be done by the Olympic system, with special thermoscanners and instruments at the entrance to ensure tracking and distance between the fans.
Football thus finds part of its audience. And it will do so sixteen months after the last time: the stands emptied in March a year ago. «The yes to the European competitions with a percentage of fans will be a symbolic moment of the restart of the whole sporting movement. From the government comes a signal of hope to get all economic sectors to start », said Valentina Vezzali, fencing champion and undersecretary to the presidency of the Council with responsibility for Sport.
Draghi enters the field and Rome saves his European championship after the rejection of UEFA a week ago, when we could not deliver an estimate on the presence of the public to the top of the continental ball. The capital, and Italy, will be able to welcome the event in an opening ceremony, on 11 June, where the beauty of the country will take center stage: hence the symbolic value of being able to play the challenge, the first of the tournament, with a frame of just under sixteen thousand spectators.
The European car can resume its journey. Cammino which, now, sounds like an assist for Serie A clubs ready to exploit its wake. The news of Draghi’s choice does not have time to be made known that the request from the clubs arrives. «We expect – says the president of the Football League, Dal Pino – that already in the next matches we will be able to host at least 1000 spectators again. And, monitoring the progress of the pandemic, I am sure that for the last rounds of the championship Serie A will have the same opening percentages as those guaranteed for the European Championships ». This is another match. –