Football goes towards the stop. The no front, in this swirl of sensations that changes constantly, seems to have once again gained the upper hand, pace of those presidents (Lotito above all) who are pushing to restart at all costs. Merit, or fault depending on the point of view, of France, which with Tuesday's decision by suspend football until September (effectively putting an end to Ligue 1), set a rather significant precedent.
"The choice of the French may also push Italy and other European countries to do the same - confirmed the Minister of Sport, Vincent Spadafora – I would be crazy to demonize Serie A which brings money to the entire sports system, but if the recovery is not safe we will be forced to stop it. There is also a buffer problem, I'm not sure there are enough: I think the top management of football should start thinking about a plan B … ".
Words that certify, if still needed, all the Government's perplexities about the resumption of the championship, also because they are followed, a few hours later, by the even heavier ones of Pierpaolo Sileri.
“At the moment it seems to me unlikely that we can resume playing football – said the Deputy Minister of Health. – We are not talking about tennis or Formula 1, but about a contact sport, with a risk of contagion that makes me worry about the health of the athletes".
As evidence of how worrying the situation is there is also the situation of Paulo Dybala: the Argentinian forward from the Juventus, 39 days after the detection of the infection, he still does not test negative for the coronavirus. However, apparently, the fourth swab signaled a very low viral load and the boy fully recovered, even returning to training at home.
In any case, the feeling is that the previous French has made school and not only in Italy. Also the UEFA in fact, although awaiting the decisions (crucial at this point) of England, Germany e Spain, begins to consider the hypothesis of cancel the deadline of 3 August, currently the maximum limit for presenting the definitive rankings. The initial idea (championships in July and European cups in August) remains in force, but forces all the leagues that fail to meet the deadlines to raise the white flag, with really serious consequences.
Il psg for example it has already counted a loss of at least 200 million and it is clear that UEFA, in the event of a similar scenario also for other top federations, could not remain insensitive. However, if England, Germany and Spain were to start playing again, as they have been saying they want to do for weeks, the problem would once again be mainly Italian: the French Ligue 1, apart from PSG, has a decidedly lower overall induced than Serie A. so he hopes to have the fateful green light in a few days, for resume training on May 18 and try to play in mid-June, in time to comply with Nyon directives.
Otherwise, however (and at this point it's good to think about it) the plan B, if the clubs manage to draw one up. Gravina's fear, quite founded to tell the truth, is to pass a summer in the middle of the paperwork of the various appeals, children of all those who feel defrauded by the crystallization of the rankings. The best solution, in that case, would seem to be an A with 22 teams, so as not to demote anyone and promote instead Benevento e Crotone.
Same script too in Serie B, which would then grow to 24, with the arrivals of Monza, Vicenza e Reggina from C, plus one to be raised with a currently unknown criterion. The risk of other appeals would still remain, but above all the loss of at least 450 million (Sky and DAZN, obviously, would like the discount for a halved championship) and an unknown number of clubs.
Yes, because if it is true that football produces induced activities of 5 billion a year (1,5 end up in state coffers), it is also that, in many cases, he spends more than he collects. Many companies rely on the game of capital gains to fix their balance sheets (and Fifa doesn't like it): let alone if they could survive the reduction of TV rights.
Of course, there would also be a plan C, or one postponement of championships and cups in September, with a general review of the calendar 2020/21, at that point compressed in six/seven months. A scenario not very welcome to UEFA but perhaps necessary: because the survival of football, at this point, is also and above all his business…
