Italy’s top soccer league Serie A’s 20 clubs voted in January to reduce stadium capacity to a maximum of 5,000 for two rounds of fixtures, to help fight the country’s rising COVID-19 cases.
Two club officials who attended a remote meeting confirmed to Reuters that the new restrictions would go into effect over the weekend of January 15 and January 22.
The move marks a further reduction from an existing ban that limits capacity to 50% and which will still be in force for the round of games scheduled for January 9.
Serie A, whose members include clubs such as Juventus, AC Milan and defending champions Inter Milan, was not immediately available to comment.
Prime Minister Mario Draghi spoke to Football Federation (FIGC) President Gabriele Gravina on Friday about the possibility of playing games behind closed doors or temporarily suspending league activity.
Italy reported 197,552 COVID-19 cases on Saturday, up from 108,304 a day earlier, while the number of deaths fell to 184 from 223, the health ministry said.
The Italian government reduced the maximum capacity allowed at all open-air sporting events in December from 75% to 50%, and the virus has also affected league schedules.
Four of the 10 scheduled games on Thursday did not go ahead due to restrictions imposed by local health authorities (ASLs) following the COVID outbreak in several squads.
Earlier on Saturday, ANSA reported that Serie A had successfully appealed to regional administrative courts against the quarantine measures imposed by the ASL on Udini, Salernitana and Torino, releasing their negative-tested players from isolation.
But Bologna remained in quarantine after the league’s appeal in Emilia Court was unsuccessful.
The situation has left uncertainty as to how many of Sunday’s 10 scheduled league games will go ahead.
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