Juventus are ‘indifferent’ to the appeal victory forcing the Week 3 game to be played, while Aurelio De Laurentiis assures ‘Napoli always follow the rules.’
The Week 3 Serie A fixture had been abandoned on October 4 when Napoli didn’t make the trip to Turin, citing a travel ban order from the local health authority (ASL) following two COVID-19 cases in the squad.
Juventus are ‘indifferent’ to the appeal victory forcing the Week 3 game to be played, while Aurelio De Laurentiis assures ‘Napoli always follow the rules.’
The Week 3 Serie A fixture had been abandoned on October 4 when Napoli didn’t make the trip to Turin, citing a travel ban order from the local health authority (ASL) following two COVID-19 cases in the squad.
Juve had gone to the stadium anyway and waited for an hour before the game was formally abandoned, giving them a 3-0 victory, with Napoli also docked a point for not attending.
However, Napoli won their third appeal today with the CONI (Italian Olympic Committee), ruling the ASL had the authority to supersede the Serie A COVID-19 protocol and ban travel.
“We are happy,” wrote Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis on Twitter this evening.
“We live in a country where those who respect the laws cannot be condemned. And Napoli always follow the rules.”
This was a pointed reference to the Juventus comment after the game was originally called off, that they ‘always follow the rules.’
The Lega Serie A and FIGC had defended their hardline stance against Napoli, warning it would set a precedent to allow a team to pull out of a fixture because of just two COVID-19 cases.
Napoli had argued the COVID protocol was not clear enough and the ASL would have the last word.
This CONI sentence cannot be appealed, because the FIGC chose not to contest or even argue their case at the hearing.
It was always a Napoli appeal against the Lega Serie A and FIGC rather than Juventus, which is what the Bianconeri sources told news agency Ansa when asked about their reaction.
“Juventus are indifferent,” was the response.
The one-point penalty to Napoli has been revoked and the Week 3 fixture must now be played.
The most likely date is January 13, which is one week before these teams face off for the Italian Supercup on January 20.