Juventus hope they will be awarded three points and three goals through forfeiture by Napoli who didn’t show up for their Serie A matchday-3 game at the Allianz Stadium on Sunday.
Two Napoli players -Piotr Zielinski and Elmas against, as well as a non-playing staff, Giandomenico Costi contracted Covid-19 ahead of the fixture.
Though Lega A and UEFA Covid-19 protocol mandates a club that has up to 13 players, including a goalkeeper to honour their match , there is also a provision for a local health authority to overrule the protocol after confirming a dire situation . And Napoli claimed that the ASL (local health authority) in Naples advised the team to self-isolate following the coronavirus positive cases at the club.
Footballitalia.net reports that Juventus claimed they were the only law-abiding club in the botched fixture and insinuated that Napoli appealed to the ASL to overrule the football authorities’ protocol.
The Bianconeri arrived the Allianz Stadium and presented a matchday squad, and now appeal for an award of the full points and three goals.
According to the report, the ASL in Naples released a statement on Sunday evening confirming that it indeed told SSC Napoli to self-isolate following the Coronavirus positive cases confirmed at the club. But a Juventus medic, Luca Stefanini, opposed it.
“The statement contains nothing new. In this specific case, the moment a positive case is registered, there has to immediately be a bubble imposed,” Footballitalia.net quoted The Stefanini as telling Sky Sport Italia.
“That is what we did with the players, staff, medical staff and matchday group when we had two positive tests this week. There are also the swabs, again as per protocol, which came back negative and we are therefore able to play the game.
“I do not know if Napoli did the same. I only know that we imposed the protocol and followed it to the letter.”
Juventus President Andrea Agnelli insinuated that Napoli appealed for the ASL statement without first complying to the protocol.
Asked if Juventus would’ve travelled to honour a match if they were the team that ASL advised to self-isolate, Agnelli further indicted Napoli.
“We would not have left, but we don’t believe the ASL would’ve released that statement. If they did, it’s evidently because they felt that there was some failure to follow the existing protocol,” he said.
“In my view, the ASL would not need to intervene if the protocol that was sent out to all clubs was followed meticulously.”
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