Cagliari plan to resume 1st-team training despite countrywide lockdown

Serie A club Cagliari are planning to resume training in small groups Monday despite clear warnings from the Italian government to remain at home.

Italy is currently under lockdown in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus, which has infected more than 35,000 people in the country, leading to nearly 3,000 deaths.

Serie A suspended play last week after the government banned all sporting events until April 3.

"Cagliari Calcio announces that the resumption of the first team's athletic activities has been scheduled for March 23," the club said in a statement. "The sessions will be held by dividing the players into groups, in order to ensure compliance with health regulations."

On Wednesday, Italy recorded 475 deaths related to COVID-19, the highest single-day total since the outbreak began.

Sardinia, where the city of Cagliari is located, has been one of the least affected regions in the country. Two deaths and 132 cases have been reported on the island.

Italian players' union president Damiano Tommasi said Monday that teams should refrain from training together.

"We have denounced the behavior of some clubs because they even want the players to train during these days," Tommasi said, according to Reuters. "The players should also stay at home in this situation."

Several clubs in Serie A, including Juventus, Atalanta, Fiorentina, and Sampdoria, have reported cases of COVID-19.

The government ordered Italy's 62 million people to stay at home last week, shutting down shops, bars, and restaurants across the country.

Teams urged their fans to follow the government's decree with the hashtag #iorestoacasa, or #istayathome. Cagliari renamed their Twitter account with the same hashtag.