Serie A sets June 13 as provisional return date

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Serie A has earmarked June 13 as a provisional date for resuming its season, though the Italian government still needs to give the league the go-ahead before matches can begin again.

"Regarding the resumption of sports activities, and in compliance with government decisions and in accordance with medical protocols for the protection of players, the date of June 13 for the resumption of the championship has been indicated," Lega Serie A said in a statement.

Group training sessions will be permitted beginning May 18 as Italy's top flight works toward a restart; many teams have already opened their facilities to allow players to partake in individual sessions.

All sporting events in the country have been suspended since March 9 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora said earlier Wednesday that football will only resume when the safety of everyone involved is assured.

"If the championship resumes, as we all hope, it will be because we'll have taken the appropriate measures and protocols to resume in complete safety, for all," Spadafora told the Italian Senate.

There has been intense debate regarding proper protocol should a player test positive for COVID-19 after a resumption of the season. The government has insisted any positive test involving a player or staff member will require the entire team to be quarantined for two weeks.

Italy, one of the world's worst-hit countries, has recorded over 221,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 to date, with 30,911 deaths.