This archive report was first published on 12 June 2020.
Published on June 12, 2020, the Italian Cup semi-finals were set to bring football back to Italy after the country's coronavirus crisis. However, the government's approval is still pending, casting a shadow over the competition.
More than 34,000 people have died from the virus in Italy, with the majority in northern regions like Piedmont and Lombardy. Despite the virus still persisting, Italy has been slowly moving back towards regular life since the start of the crisis.
The return of football was pitched as the latest sign that the worst should be over, but the government's delay in approving the matches has left the fate of the competition uncertain. Health Minister Roberto Speranza confirmed the dates for the semis and the June 17 final in Rome, but only said that the government was 'leaning towards authorising' the last three matches.
Should the match take place, fans will see a tie delicately poised at 1-1 following February's entertaining first leg at the San Siro. Milan will be without injured Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but the absence of the Swedish striker will not affect the outcome of the match.
