Italian FA chief ‘worried’ about next season due to virus protocols

MILAN: Italian football federation president (FIGC) Gabriele Gravina said Monday he was “worried” about next season, saying that the current coronavirus protocols are impossible to apply in the long term.

“I am very, very worried about next season,” Gravina told Italian radio station Rai Gr Parlamento.

“Teams will have to start preparations soon and we are very late in knowing the new procedures to follow.

“We don’t know how long this state of emergency will be extended for.” Professional football returned in Italy on June 20 after a threemonth lockdown, with matches played behind closed doors amid stringent protocols and tests. Juventus were crowned Serie A champions for the ninth straight season on Sunday with two games to spare after beating Sampdoria. The current campaign ends on Aug 2. “This (current) protocol had to take into account the development of the epidemic in our country,” said Gravina.