New provisions of the Lega Pro related to Covid-19

Lega Pro, the rules on the management of positives change: two hypotheses for postponement

Through an official statement, the Lega Pro has announced the new provisions regarding the Covid-19 emergency. Here is the press release:

– given priority to the need to protect the health and public safety of all professionals, players, staff, and referees;
– considering the current problems arising from the epidemiological emergency from Covid-19, which have entailed, among others, the necessary postponement of some matches of the Serie C 2020/2021 sports season;
– considering the need to ensure, in the 2020/2021 sports season, the dispute and conclusion of all competitions organized by the Italian Professional Football League in the interest of associated companies, fans, audiovisual rights licensees, and sponsors;
– given the “specificity” of Lega Pro professional football and considering that the associated clubs must meet, on the one hand, the timely fulfillment of the health requirements dictated by the competent Authorities and, on the other hand, the entire logistical and operational organization connected to the performance of the official activity;
– have taken note of the provisions of Annex I of the UEFA Champions League Regulations and the UEFA Europa League Regulations, approved by the UEFA Executive Committee on 3 August 2020;
– without prejudice to and without prejudice to the provisions of any provisions of the state, local authorities and/or the Italian Football Federation deliberates to adopt, limited to the dispute of the official matches of the Serie C Championship of the current sporting season (with the exclusion therefore of the playoff and playout phase), the following regulation to govern the methods of carrying out the official activity in the event that it is having ascertained the positivity to the SARS-CoV-2 virus of the players of the clubs participating in the aforementioned competition:

1. in the event that one or more players of the same team is found to be positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus following tests performed within 48 hours prior to the match (“General indications for planning, organization and management of professional football matches in “behind closed doors” mode, aimed at containing the epidemiological emergency from COVID-19 “, Version of 22 June 2020 – Update of Medical aspects, 28 September 2020) the company, which must in any case comply with the provisions of referred to in the Circular of the Ministry of Health of 18 June 2020 (0021463-18 / 06/2020-DGPRE-DGPRE-P), concerning “Methods for implementing the quarantine for close contacts in COVID-19 cases, in particular contexts of reference , such as the competitive activity of a professional team “), is obliged to immediately have the team group carry out a test cycle using a” nose pharyngeal swab “or by other means of assessment carried out in compliance compliance with the health protocol in force at the time
   1.1. If the cases of positivity to the virus are found in the players of the host club, pending the outcome of the aforementioned immediate cycle of tests/assessments, which in any case must be received at least four hours before kick-off, the club itself may request to Lega Pro the postponement of the scheduled match. Only if the match is scheduled after 8.30 pm, the League will be able to postpone it to the next day.
   1.2 If the cases of the positive virus are found in the players of the hosted club, pending the outcome of the aforementioned immediate cycle of tests/assessments, the club itself may request the Lega Pro to postpone the scheduled match until the following day for objective and proven logistical and organizational problems connected to the trip. In this regard, it should be noted that the postponement to the next day, with a time that will be identified by the Lega Pro, can be granted only on the condition that the current schedule is respected and in any case that at least two days off before the next match are guaranteed;2. without prejudice to the provisions of point 1, the match will be regularly played, provided that the company in question, once the results of the aforementioned tests/assessments have been obtained, can field at least 13 players from the first-team squad – including at least one goalkeeper – tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 virus.
   If fewer than 13 players from the first-team roster are available – including at least one goalkeeper – who have tested negative for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, at the request of the club concerned, the League may authorize the postponement of the match and the rescheduling of the match. same on the first use date.
   If it is not possible, in compliance with the existing schedule, to reschedule the race by the end of the regular season, the request for postponement will be rejected and the race will be regularly played;
2. in the event that, following the postponement ordered by the Lega Pro, the applicant club has not obtained the results of the tests within the timescales indicated in point 1, or in any case decides not to play the race, the same will be subject to the sanction the loss of the match with a score of 0-3, without applying the additional penalty of one point in the standings, imposed by the competent Justice Body
3. notwithstanding the provisions of points 1 and 2, if, in a period of five consecutive calendar days, four or more players of the squad of the first team of a company should test positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the same may, only once during the regular season of the Serie C 2020-2021 Championship, submit to Lega Pro an application for postponement of the championship match subsequently scheduled, provided that the request is formulated within 48 hours prior to the dispute.
   If the request is accepted, the race will be rescheduled on a date set, with a non-syndicate provision, by the President of the Lega Pro.
   If it is not possible, in compliance with the existing schedule, to reschedule the race by the end of the regular season, the request for postponement will be rejected and the race will be regularly played;
4. Any application proposed pursuant to these provisions must be sent by certified email to the Lega Italiana Calcio Professional, under penalty of inadmissibility, the documentation proving the existence of the conditions underlying the request.

It is understood that these regulatory provisions may undergo changes due to the evolution of the health emergency from COVID 19 as well as according to the health protocols that will be adopted during the current sporting season.