The Municipality of Naples, through Gaetano Simeone, President of the Commission for infrastructure, mobility and civil protection, has officially lodged a request to the FIGC that Napoli’s fixture against Salernitana be postponed.
The match is currently scheduled for 14.00 UK time this Saturday, however, the local authorities have asked that the game be pushed back until 12.00 Sunday, so it can be played at the same time as Inter–Lazio.
If second place Lazio fail to beat Inter at San Siro and Napoli beat Salernitana, Luciano Spaletti and his team will be crowned as champions of Italy.
However, it is not for sporting reasons that the local authorities have intervened, rather that there are concerns over safety and infrastructure within the city of Naples over the coming weekend.
In a statement released on Monday afternoon, the Municipality requested that the game be postponed to “prevent any unfortunate episodes due to the chaos that could be generated”, especially given that hundreds of thousands of fans are expected to be present in the city over the weekend.
The statement read: “We ask you to evaluate, with the participation of the FIGC, the opportunity to discuss safety and to consider the postponement of the championship match Napoli vs Salernitana, scheduled for Saturday 29 April at 15.00 (14.00 UK time) at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, until Sunday 30 April at 12.30, in conjunction with the Inter-Lazio football match.
The reasons given by the authorities were: “In order to protect public order and safety and to prevent any unfortunate episodes due to the chaos that could be generated during the two days scheduled for the football of the 32nd day of Serie A.”