Leeds [UK]: Italian football is set to kick-start on June 12, as Juventus competes with AC Milan in a Coppa Italia semi-final second leg match, following the long break due to COVID-19 pandemic.
"The recovery of football with the Italian Cup, as desired, will take place," a website quoted Italy's Minister for Sport Vincenzo Spadafora from a Facebook live-stream
Followed by a match between Napoli and Inter Milan, the Cup final is scheduled for June 17. The first leg matches of the last four ties took place in February.
"The two semi-finals have also been brought forward to have a tight schedule. The first will be on June 12, then 13 for the second and 17 the final," Spadafora added.
The semi-final ties were originally scheduled to take place on June 13 and 14, but the government accepted a request from Serie A to move the two fixtures forward by an extra day.
Earlier, Italian government gave Serie A the nod to restart play on June 20.
"Italy is reopening (and) it is correct that the football season should restart as well," Spadafora told reporters.
In May, 16 of 20 Serie A teams voted to restart play on June 13, with four teams voting for a June 20 start. But that vote was contingent on health and safety protocols for players and fans and in the end, the latter date was selected because it took so long to agree to those protocols.
The agree-to rules mean teams will play in front of nearly empty stands and widespread COVID-19 testing for players and officials. If any player tests positive for the coronavirus, everyone who came in contact with that player will immediately be quarantined.
Other football leagues in Italy, including lower divisions like Serie B and Serie C as well as the Serie A for women, will also restart, though at a later date.
