Italian football continues to be shocked by the coronavirus pandemic that is ravaging Italy and which has already left a total of 12,462 infections (2,076 new cases only this Wednesday), 827 deaths (196 in the last 24 hours) and 1,045 people who have overcome the disease. As if this were not enough, the news of the positive for coronavirus from the Juventus player from Turin Daniele Rugani, makes it more difficult for Serie A to resume this season.
For this reason the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) is evaluating various options to decide the future of the championship., as the journalist of the Corriere dello Sport Gabriele Marcotti points out, if finally the competition cannot be played.
The first of them would be to declare the title vacant (something that has not happened since the 2004-2005 season, when Juventus took the title after the 'Moggigate' scandal). Further, European competition places would be based on classification at this time (Juventus, Lazio, Inter and Atalanta would play the Champions League, while Rome and Naples would be classified for the Europa League) and in addition there would be no downgrades, so Brescia, SPAL de Ferrara and Lecce would remain in Serie A to the detriment of teams such as Benevento, Crotone or Frosinone, who are leading in Serie B.
The second option would be to end the season. In this way the title of champion of Serie A, the European places and the relegation positions would be based on the current classification, so Juventus would take this decaf Scudetto, Lazio, Inter and Atalanta would play the Champions League, and Rome and Naples the Europa League, and Brescia, SPAL and Lecce would go down to Serie B.
Italian FA mulling 3 options based on when / if situation allows Serie A to start again.
1. Declare title vacant, assign Euro spots based on current standings, no relegation
2. Season over, title / relegation based on table
3. Playoffs for title / relegation
(rooting for 3 myself)– Gabriele Marcotti (@Marcotti) March 10, 2020
The third option that is considered is that, if conditions in the country improve, two playoffs will be played for the title and the relegation places to Series B. Everything will depend on how the situation in Italy evolves in the coming weeks and more specifically until April 3, the deadline for the national quarantine imposed by the Giuseppe Conte government.