Venezia confirm Gian Filippo Felicioli tested positive for COVID-19, so there is a race against time for the Government to change the medical protocol on quarantining players.
This is the first confirmed case in Italy of a positive coronavirus test after contact training has begun.
Under the existing medical protocol, Felicioli would be quarantined for 14 days, but the entire squad and coaching staff would also have to remain in the training ground for 14 days and not be allowed to go home.
Venezia confirm Gian Filippo Felicioli tested positive for COVID-19, so there is a race against time for the Government to change the medical protocol on quarantining players.
This is the first confirmed case in Italy of a positive coronavirus test after contact training has begun.
Under the existing medical protocol, Felicioli would be quarantined for 14 days, but the entire squad and coaching staff would also have to remain in the training ground for 14 days and not be allowed to go home.
This would mean not playing the upcoming Serie B matches against Pordenone on June 20 and Ascoli on June 26.
It was announced last week that the medical protocol was going to be softened, moving on to the German, English and Spanish model, which only quarantines the individual who tests positive.
The others will have rapid-response swabs the day before and after matches.
However, that has not yet been ratified and La Gazzetta dello Sport note this requires the Government to change the existing law.
The technical scientific committee (CTS) is in favour of reducing the quarantine to just one player, but there’s a race against time now to get that law changed so Venezia and the Serie B season can go ahead.
Serie A is also due to resume from June 20, so their teams would also be affected by the rule change.
“There is a decree that demands 14 days, so either the decree is amended in Parliament or there has to be a new one made,” Minister for Sport Vincenzo Spadafora told Porta a Porta on RAI Uno.
“Either way, I don’t think we have the time to get it effective by June 20. We’ll try to do everything possible, but it might be easier to wait until the next decree.”