Change the Serie A calendar for the playoffs? FIGC and Lega are studying how

A blue space to group together, even better a few days together to test strategies on the field, or even stop the championship to save energy and allocate maximum energy to the world playoff

All useful ideas for the national team and coach Gattuso, but how achievable? The first, a moment to find oneself, study together the plan to oppose Northern Ireland and perhaps the second adversary, unite in a global embrace, it is possible. However, without too many training sessions available… There is a time hypothetically already identified: Monday 9 February, to which perhaps add the Sunday after the match with the clubs, and also Tuesday at least for those who will not be involved in the quarter-finals of the Italian Cup (4 and 11 February). The rest is a difficult puzzle to solve. The certainty is that the Serie A League, the expression of the clubs, will do everything possible to meet the requests of the Italian coach. The key word is “sharing”.

opening

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The attempt is to favor the path of the national team as much as possible: an attempt to which the thoughts of the leaders of Serie A have already turned. President Ezio Simonelli has expressed the absolute openness of the League: “We will do everything possible to stay close to the Azzurri, the federal president Gravina has asked us for availability for an internship and the clubs tend to agree. Moving the championship day that precedes the play-off is however more difficult, we have contracts with the broadcasters. However, we will be able to look for times and days of the matches make the players available to Gattuso as soon as possible, there is 100% availability.” Opening declared from the stage of the Sport Industry Talk organized by RCS Academy, in collaboration with Corriere della Sera and RCS Sports & Events. The coach had in turn made his own requests: “I will go around to talk to the players, it would be important to have a couple of days, as well as bring forward the championship day before the playoff. Montella told me that in Turkey the championship could be postponed to that week to give the national team more time”.

the contracts

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Here we are, however, at the most tangled issue: the calendars, national and international, full if not very full of appointments. And the contracts in place with televisions. Postponing the championship round close to the playoffs is unthinkable. The path of advances instead collides with other needs. The midweeks of March (the World Playoff semi-final scheduled for the 26th) are already filled with European cups, going further back – in February – there is the Italian Cup. In addition to the period in which San Siro will be closed because it is destined for the Winter Olympics. A table with TVs would then be needed: the green light from Dazn and Sky would be needed to move the championship from the weekend, with a larger audience of viewers, to a hypothetical Wednesday evening. The same with Mediaset, if the championship overlaps with the dates of the Italian Cup (to be rescheduled). The League and the clubs cannot decide independently: it would be a violation of the signed agreements

fits

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And bring forward the thirtieth of the championship, i.e. the day of March 22, between Friday and Saturday, also working on match times? Possible, however, taking into account the international calendars: the Champions League round of 16 is set for 17-18 March. The same with Europe and Conference League on Thursday. The European path of the Italians must be followed. An example: if Fiorentina advanced in the Conference, the only possible advance for the match against Inter scheduled for the following weekend would be Sunday at 12.30. Viola and Inter-Azzurri would then go directly to Coverciano. Nerazzurri president Marotta also confirms his total availability: “Now we have to be united to get to the World Cup, it’s important to be on the same side, clubs included. We will do our best to put the national team in the best conditions.” The same attitude of the League, which evaluates every possibility to “hand over” the players to the coach as soon as possible and satisfy the Azzurri’s needs. Even if the path is made narrow and difficult by the agreements already signed, as well as by the cup calendars.