Hot on the heels of the Premier League decision to resume playing matches next month behind closed doors, it has announced that Serie A would also e resuming its season next month.
Italy’s top flight is to get back underway from June 20, all being well, with the Coppa Italia semifinal second legs and final to be held during the week prior.
It means four of Europe’s top-five leagues are committed to finishing the coronavirus-disrupted campaign, with only Ligue 1 having declared the season over.
Ahead of the return of the action, which includes a true title tussle, a fight for Europe and unease in the bottom half, here’s a look at the story so far of 2019-20…
Where did we leave off in Serie A?
It’s hardly a surprise that Juventus was top when the season was suspended in March, but this has by no means been a procession towards what would be a ninth consecutive Scudetto.
Simone Inzaghi’s Lazio is just a point behind, while Inter, which has a game in hand, is a further eight points back.
Antonio Conte’s Nerazzurri were beaten 2-0 by Juve in their final match before the season was halted, but while the title looks a touch beyond their reach, there would be little sense in writing them off entirely.
The race for Europe is similarly close. Free-scoring Atalanta is fourth but only three points above Roma, having played one game fewer, while only five points separate Napoli in sixth and Bologna in 10th. Milan, Hellas Verona and Parma are all in need of some improved form, though.
At the bottom, Brescia and SPAL look to be fighting a losing battle, but no side in the bottom half of the table could realistically declare themselves safe. Lecce are 18th, level on points with Genoa, but it’s Torino who are enduring the worst form of all, losing six league games in a row to slide to within two points of the drop zone.
Vincenzo Spadafora, Italy’s sports minister confirmed that there are backup plans in place in case there is a second wave of infections. “If the curve changes and the league has to be stopped again, the Italian soccer federation has assured me that there exists a plan B — playoffs — and also a plan C — leaving the standings as they are,” he said.
