In many parts of the world, football is more than just a sport, it is a part of the fabric of a nation. That is certainly very much the case in Italy, as well as in other parts of Europe and South America. We have all missed the normalcy of the life that we knew before the pandemic, and while the absence of sports was one of the lesser concerns for people over the last few months, the announcement that soccer is returning is a major cause for celebration. Fans will not be able to go to stadiums for some time yet, but just being able to watch meaningful games on TV is going to be enough for the average fan. For now, let’s head to Italy and look at the upcoming plans along with the current Serie A odds.
Serie A COVID-19 Status & Return Date
Serie A Pandemic Timeline
Most of us probably believed that Italy might be one of the slowest nations to return to life given how hard they were hit by the pandemic. Things started to go seriously wrong in March, with the Serie A suspended on March 10. As we all watched Italy get hammered by the virus, the belief was that everything, soccer included, would be a long way from returning. The country is starting to slowly turn things around, though, with the return of Serie A on June 20 something to celebrate.
This is a return that has been in the making for longer than you might imagine, though, as the initial plans were to start back on June 14, but with the national lockdown extended to June 14 a little while ago, that date had to be revised. This is all rather tentative, though, as the government has made it clear that the testing for players and personnel should not come before the needs of the general public. It has also been stated that another spike in cases would see the league be forced to shut down again.
Serie A Format for the Remainder of the Season
One exception that may well be made before the resumption of the league season is the return of the Coppa Italia. That tournament is in the semi-final stages, with the hope being that those games can be played and the Coppa Italia decided before the resumption of Serie A play. As is the case with all games at this point, they will be played behind closed doors. Be sure to keep an eye out for those games ahead of the restart of the league.
The players and the powers that be all seem to be on the same page in regards finishing the league. The Serie A President made it very clear from the start that he wanted the league to be decided on the field. He stated that if the league were to be cancelled, no team would simply be handed the title based on the Serie A standings and the games that had already been played, which is fair given how close things are at the top right now.
Juventus, who are looking for their ninth straight title, are currently on top, but they only have a single point lead over Lazio. Meanwhile, the relegation battle at the bottom of the league is also tight, so these next few weeks should be very exciting indeed.
