The President of the Italian Footballers’ Association admits it could be time to consider the possibility that the season is over due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Damiano Tommasi was responding to comments made by Italy’s Minister of Sport Vincenzo Spadafora, who is set to propose on Monday a further extension to the suspension of all sport in the country.
Italy is the world’s worst affected country, with the pandemic death toll passing 10,000 over the weekend.
Former Roma midfielder Tommasi believes it is time to face the fact that the season may end here.
Tommasi told ANSA: "Because after the words of Minister Spadafora, the concern that the championships will end here is there.
“You must therefore ask yourself the problem of the end of the season from a sporting point of view, of contracts."
All sporting events have been suspended in Italy until April 3rd and there was some hope that the season could resume on May 3rd but Spafadora does not believe that is possible.
Spadafora told Italian newspaper La Repubblica: "It’s unrealistic to resume play on May 3, tomorrow (Monday), I will propose to extend the stop of sports competitions of all levels for the rest of April.
"Sport is not just football, and football is not just Serie A. I will assign an extraordinary €400 million plan to grassroots sport, to help the amateur level, a fabric that I am sure will be one of the engines of the rebirth."
The Juventus players and coaching staff have agreed to take a wage cut for the next four months during the pandemic.
The agreement's set to be worth around €85 million euro to the club's wage bill - although an increase in pay would be renegotiated if and when the Serie A season is back underway.
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