Serie A are trying to work out a Plan B in case the season cannot resume, including a change in relegation and promotion, which could see it expanded to 22 teams.
The Italian Government continues to send mixed messages on how, when and even if games will resume after moving into Phase Two of the coronavirus pandemic response from May 4.
Serie A are trying to work out a Plan B in case the season cannot resume, including a change in relegation and promotion, which could see it expanded to 22 teams.
The Italian Government continues to send mixed messages on how, when and even if games will resume after moving into Phase Two of the coronavirus pandemic response from May 4.
As teams won’t be allowed to train together until May 18, time is running very short to get the season resumed and concluded by August 2.
Because of the concerns, La Gazzetta dello Sport describes the Plan B that is being drawn up by the Lega Serie A and FIGC just in case the 2019-20 campaign ends here.
That includes potential play-offs for the Scudetto and top six places in Europe, but more likely simply not assigning the league title at all, something that would above all be proposed by leaders Juventus to avoid controversy with Lazio.
The bigger issue is promotion and relegation, as Benevento already threatened legal action if they are not sent into Serie A despite being 20 points clear in Serie B.
There are several options here, including the promotion of two clubs from Serie B without any relegation, so expanding the top flight to 22 teams.
Another would be to promote and relegate two rather than the usual three, maintaining the divisions as they are.
Football players would see their salaries slashed if there were no games until August or September, with a complex negotiation process also sparked around pay-per-view television rights.
Sky Italia and DAZN have the rights in Italy, not to mention the sale of international rights, meaning a total renegotiation of the three-year contracts.