Still, despite about 60 players reported as having
contracted COVID-19, full slates of 10 matches involving all 20 clubs are
scheduled to be played both Thursday and Sunday.
Last-place Salernitana is the hardest hit with nine of its
players having COVID-19, while clubs like Inter Milan (Edin Dzeko), Napoli
(Victor Osimhen) and Juventus (Giorgio Chiellini) are each missing leading
players because of the virus.
Even former Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, now back with
Parma in Serie B, has tested positive.
Inter and Juventus had reportedly sought to postpone the Italian
Super Cup scheduled for next week at the San Siro in Milan but the Italian
league decided to keep the game in place.
Stadium capacities have been reduced from 75% to 50%
following a government decree aimed at combatting the latest outbreak and spectators
must now wear FFP2 masks.
There is still a question about whether the decree requires
all Serie A players to be vaccinated but that debate could end if the
government requires all workers in the country to be vaccinated by Feb. 1.
While nearly all Serie A players have been vaccinated —
about 98% — nearly 30 players have reportedly been resisting the vaccine.
Players on foreign clubs traveling to play Italian teams
would likely be exempt from the vaccination requirement. -AP