This archive report was first published on 11 May 2020.
On May 11, 2020, the Italian government announced that Serie A clubs can resume team training from May 18, as long as they make adjustments to their medical protocols.
The decision was made after the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) met with the government's technical scientific committee (CTS) to discuss the details of a return to group training.
Italy's sports minister, Vincenzo Spadafora, and health minister, Roberto Speranza, released a joint statement confirming that the CTS had largely accepted the FIGC protocol for a resumption of group sessions.
According to the statement, the CTS had requested that the FIGC make necessary adjustments to the protocol to ensure a safe resumption of team training.
Football has been suspended in Italy since March 9, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has claimed nearly 31,000 lives in the country.
However, the Italian government has allowed squads to return to individual training sessions in team facilities from May 4, 2020.
Despite the progress, there are still several issues to be decided, including the quarantine of players in case of positive COVID-19 tests.
Italian football bosses are pushing for a more relaxed approach, similar to Germany, where only positive cases would be put into isolation.
However, the scientific committee insists that football must comply with the general rule of two weeks in isolation for those who have been in contact with positive cases.
