Players’ Association President Damiano Tommasi claims the statistics of the virus makes it difficult to predict when Serie A will resume and has encouraged the discussion regarding player wages "should be addressed in due course".
Tommasi revealed earlier this week that he was hoping Serie A could resume in May or June but admitted that the current death toll, now also surpassing China, where the illness was first registered, makes it difficult to predict what will happen in Italy.
Players’ Association President Damiano Tommasi claims the statistics of the virus makes it difficult to predict when Serie A will resume and has encouraged the discussion regarding player wages "should be addressed in due course".
Tommasi revealed earlier this week that he was hoping Serie A could resume in May or June but admitted that the current death toll, now also surpassing China, where the illness was first registered, makes it difficult to predict what will happen in Italy.
“I don’t know. I hope soon because football will be thermometer of society,” he told Corriere dello Sport. “When the ball rolls again, we will almost be out of this nightmare.
“Like the English, I would rather say that it will not resume until a certain date, rather than to indicate a set day.
“A Chinese proverb says: “If you want to make God smile, tell him your future plans”. This is the time to live the day, because the death toll is chilling.
“In Spain, Valencia has 35 per cent of their people infected and this means that football must pay close attention to what it does. Surely, they haven’t removed all the coronavirus out of their training centre.”
But even if Serie A is working on a plan for a revival of the 2019-20 season, Tommasi suggests, it doesn’t make sense to bring players back in training already.
Last weekend, reports emerged that Lazio patron Claudio Lotito was trying to keep his players on the training ground.
“Whoever thinks of taking advantage by making their players train, I don’t know what they have in mind,” he added. “I say this without wanting to create controversies, because this is not the moment for controversy.
“Training now, two months before the resumption of the campaign, doesn’t make sense. And it’s also dangerous.
“In Spain there are dozens of positive players, while in Italy they haven’t all taken the test and there are more asymptomatic people than you think.
“Lotito will perhaps have good informers and will know when the championship really starts again.”
Despite being worried about the current trend and urging everyone to “think about staying at home” Tommasi insists that he hopes to finish the season.
“I hope so, but the curve of the spread gives us no respite,” he added. “Let’s think about staying at home. Everyone, no one is excluded.
“The postponement of the European Championship will help and perhaps allow us to conclude the domestic Leagues.”
Serie A clubs are reportedly considering asking players to reduce their salaries and have drawn up an agreed draft of the proposal, but Tommasi doesn’t want to discuss salaries right now.
“The first who are interested in the sustainability of the system are the players themselves and all the people who work there,” Tommasi said. “We are aware that this is a topic to be addressed, but not now.
“First we have to quantify the damage and procedure will only be possible when we know if the season will end or not.
“The problem of cutting wages should be addressed in due course. I don’t understand what kind of agreement they are proposing to us because we are unable to force the members to accept it.
“We agree with the League to anticipate the summer holidays and consider these days as holidays to reduce them in July. On this, we have no problem, but for the wages, we will see.”