Players’ Association chief Damiano Tommasi has claimed the Presidents of Serie A clubs are “like the Titanic musicians, who continue to play while the ship sinks”.
With the current situation in Italy, Tommasi has revealed that the hypothesis of cancelling the 2019-20 campaign is still alive, despite having moved the European Championship to 2021.
Players’ Association chief Damiano Tommasi has claimed the Presidents of Serie A clubs are “like the Titanic musicians, who continue to play while the ship sinks”.
With the current situation in Italy, Tommasi has revealed that the hypothesis of cancelling the 2019-20 campaign is still alive, despite having moved the European Championship to 2021.
“There are an infinite number of players who, respecting the rules, have signed for other clubs, with a contract in effect from July 1,” he told Il Messaggero. “There are loans, the free agents.
“On June 30, the clubs have to present their budgets and that’s a problem for them. A delay will have to be studied, a moratorium will be made, extending the agreements.
“We can’t exaggerate this delay. The beginning of next season can’t be moved too far, since, at least we hope, there will be the Euros.”
The former Roma midfielder has revealed that this includes the possible annulment of the current campaign.
“Of course. I repeat: the schools are closed, a championship or more than one can also be closed. It would be a big problem, but unfortunately, we don’t choose these things, but the Coronavirus does.
“We are all loaded onto the same boat, in the same uncertainty and with equal fragility.”
He claims the leaders at the different Serie A clubs are not willing to accept the situation and fears that they will not “understand” the seriousness of the current emergency.
“They are like the Titanic musicians, who continue to play while the ship sinks,” he said. “If you don’t understand that the situation is serious, I fear that the dates will be disregarded.
“Up north, the phenomenon is constantly growing, as well as in the rest of Europe. It was correct to give a temporary horizon, almost as a form om optimism. That’s OK.
“But there’s still a lot to do. At the beginning, it seemed that the phenomenon concerned the lower area of Lombardy, then moved to Brescia and Bergamo. It’s unpredictable, we don’t know what will happen in the south.
“Logic tells us that we must behave well, rigorously. It’s not about being catastrophic or optimistic, I just try to be realistic. We will start again, but in safety. And where it is needed, we will respect stricter measures.”