Italian football federation president Gabriele Gravina has spoken on the impact Coronavirus has had on Serie A in the past few weeks.
A total of nine league Serie A games plus Juventus and AC Milan’s Coppa Italia semi final second leg have been postponed due to the presence of the virus of which there are over 2500 confirmed cases in Italy which has seen close to 80 people die.
In an interview with Milan based newspaper Corriere della Sera, which appeared in today’s print edition, Gravina was asked if he thinks the situation has been handled badly.
“We are talking about a sport that feeds passions and interests out of the ordinary and that sometimes ends up a victim of itself.
“It represents an essential component of the country both socially and economically. We have been serious in the discussion with the Government and it is not true that football does not care about public health and general interests.
“The new look schedule? We have exercised an impulse action that I consider necessary in a time of difficulty.”
Gravina was also asked about what he made of Inter president Steven Zhang’s outburst against Lega Serie A president Paolo Dal Pino.
Zhang took to social media platform Instagram and did not hold back as he slammed Dal Pino for his handling of the situation and even personally insulted him as he called him a clown.
“I do not agree with what he said. Everyone is responsible for what they say. His reasons are asserted in a correct institutional dialectic. Moreover Inter both in the Lega and in the Federation are represented by excellent directors.
“Dal Pino exercised his prerogatives and took responsibility for them as others should do.”
Gravina then went on to insist that the show must go on: “Closed doors mortify values such as sharing and the joy of the sporting event itself but football cannot stop. We must move forward whilst respecting the ordinances.”
