Bologna have announced that their players can return to training next week, following hot on the heels of Emilian rivals Sassuolo.
Sassuolo became the first Serie A side to capitalise on the region of Emilia-Romagna giving professional clubs permission to restart work with social distancing measures in place.
Now, Bologna have released a statement confirming their players can resume training next Tuesday on similar conditions.
Coach Sinisa Mihajlovic [pictured] will not be present and attendance is optional.
Parma and SPAL are also allowed to hold invididual training sessions, but both teams have opted to wait until a suitable health protocol has been agreed.
Sassuolo have become the first Serie A side to announce they will return to training on Monday.
The region of Emilia-Romagna announced earlier this week that its professional clubs could resume sporting activity, in compliance with social distancing.
Although Parma and SPAL are both preferring to wait for the FIGC and government to reach an agreement on health protocol, Sassuolo have decided to press ahead.
The Neroverdi said in an official statement: “U.S. Sassuolo Calcio announce that, from Monday May 4, they will grant their players use of the Mapei Football Center pitches for optional, individual sessions.
“Players will only be allowed access to the pitches, in compliance with the rules of social distancing, while access to indoor facilities (changing rooms, gyms, offices) will be prohibited.
“The individual sessions, which will take place during the mornings, from Monday to Friday, with the use of three pitches and six players per hour (one player for each half of the field), will not be attended by technical staff, while emergency medical supervision will be on hand.
“Access to the Mapei Football Center and car park outside the entrance will continue to be forbidden to any person who is not included in the subjects indicated above.”
Napoli have also been given permission to resume work on May 4 but have yet to confirm that they will.
Genoa have confirmed their desire to complete the Serie A season but warned that ‘new rules cannot be imposed’ at this stage.
All 20 Serie A sides voted for a resumption yesterday and Genoa, in a statement on their official website, explained their stance in more detail, including their opposition to playoffs and playouts.
“The main objective is to overcome the health emergency,” it read.
“As for the league campaign, the desire of everyone remains to complete the 2019-2020 season, if the government allows it, in full compliance with the rules for the protection of health and safety.
“On playoffs and playouts, new rules cannot be imposed other than the ones we knew from the start.
“They are not foreseen in any way. It is wrong in principle, as well as in practice: anyone would want to see their efforts on the pitch recognised in accordance with the rules known to everyone.
“This is the position publicly expressed by Genoa President Enrico Preziosi on March 12, a position that, even with regards to playoffs and playouts, remains unchanged.
Torino are set to confirm ex-SPAL man Davide Vagnati as their new sporting director, while coach Leonardo Semplici looks increasingly likely to follow.
Tuttomercatoweb reports Vagnati has signed a three-year contract with Toro, just days after his departure from SPAL.
The 41-year-old will replace Massimo Bava, who only took over from Gianluca Petrachi last summer.
Bava, for his part, is expected to revert to his previous role of academy director.
As for Semplici, the website writes he is leading the race to become the Granata’s new coach.
His appointment would make sense, given he worked with Vagnati at the Paolo Mazza for six years and is currently out of work.
Roma have announced that their players will resume training next week after the capital region gave them and Lazio the green light.
The region of Lazio, which governs Rome, confirmed this evening that they would allow its professional sports clubs to restart individual work on May 6.
Soon after, the Giallorossi tweeted: “Roma would like to thank the Lazio Regione for its sensitivity towards team sports.
“Next week, Roma players will undergo medical assessments and begin individual training sessions – observing safe distancing guidelines – at the Trigoria training centre.”
It caps off an eventual day for Italian football, which began with Sassuolo becoming the first Serie A side to confirm they would resume training.
They were followed by Emilian neighbours Parma and Bologna, before Minister of Sport Vincenzo Spadafora performed a U-turn, having initially refused to entertain the idea of teams getting back to work on Monday.
ANSA reports he wrote to the scientific-technical committee of Italy’s Civil Protection Department yesterday, asking them to also apply the case for individual sports restarting on May 4 to team sports.
