The Juventus–Napoli row drags on, as members of the CTS (technical scientific committee) confirm local health authorities could block the Partenopei from travelling due to COVID-19 fears.
Napoli did not make the journey to Turin for last week’s Serie A match, so after 45 minutes, the game was officially called off.
In theory, they face a 3-0 forfeit and one docked point for not attending a fixture, but the club argues it received an order from the ASL (local health authority) to remain in the region and self-isolate following two COVID-19 cases.
The Juventus-Napoli row drags on, as members of the CTS (technical scientific committee) confirm local health authorities could block the Partenopei from travelling due to COVID-19 fears.
Napoli did not make the journey to Turin for last week’s Serie A match, so after 45 minutes, the game was officially called off.
In theory, they face a 3-0 forfeit and one docked point for not attending a fixture, but the club argues it received an order from the ASL (local health authority) to remain in the region and self-isolate following two COVID-19 cases.
The Lega Serie A and Juventus insist the existing protocol takes this into account and the ASL in other regions did not intervene for two cases at other clubs.
“The protocol was approved by the Minister for Health and validated by the CTS, which is a governmental body,” CTS member Doctor Francesco Branconaro told Radio Kiss Kiss.
“I don’t see a conflict between politics and sport, because the ASL has authority and a specific role to supervise. Football does not come above everything else and it is within the power of an ASL to prevent a team from travelling.”
The concern is that the existing protocol was not over-ruled by any other regional ASL, so the one in Naples set a worrying precedent.
If there is a patchwork of different approaches to similar situations, it creates an uneven playing field, so the Disciplinary Commission is taking a long time to make its ruling on the Napoli case.