Italy coach Roberto Mancini encourages the return of football to “give joy to the people” during the pandemic, assuring “the risk is minimal” to players and staff.
The shutdown has been going for over a month and plans are in place to resume training from May 4, with games around May 27-31.
“I hope that we can get back to normal life soon and that this all becomes just a horrible memory,” Mancini told the Corriere dello Sport.
Italy coach Roberto Mancini encourages the return of football to “give joy to the people” during the pandemic, assuring “the risk is minimal” to players and staff.
The shutdown has been going for over a month and plans are in place to resume training from May 4, with games around May 27-31.
“I hope that we can get back to normal life soon and that this all becomes just a horrible memory,” Mancini told the Corriere dello Sport.
“I feel the time has come the ease the measures so life can return, albeit in a different way to one we were accustomed to. As well as the closure of businesses, we’ll soon be dealing with depression on a large scale. People are tired.
“Sport has a social value, it gives joy to the people and will help the country on a psychological level. Positive emotions are helpful.”
Brescia President Massimo Cellino contracted COVID-19 and is adamant the season should not resume, but Mancini insists the protocol put forward by medics to the FIGC can work.
“In my view, contact sport is not dangerous. We can count the cases of players infected individually, especially at the top level. Football pitches are huge, there is room for everyone to train, especially in the big clubs who have multiple areas for teams.
“Let us resume playing football and you’ll see that the sport will help the country. Once we have stabilised that 500 players in Serie A are immune or recovered, then there won’t be any risks.”
The protocol includes regular testing not just with swabs, but also blood tests, which will identify antibodies. If antibodies are present, it means the player has already been infected and recovered, which should in theory – at least for a time – grant immunity.”
Mancini also has suggestions for the change in fixture list, as the Champions League might not be over until August 29.
“If the season ends, which I hope it will, then another campaign starts straight after that. There won’t be a break, the squads will have to be larger to cover all the games.
“We can take Russia as an example, though, because there the title is assigned and 10 days later the new season begins. Obviously, with a Winter break in there too.”