Coronavirus could cost Serie A over €700m: FIGC chief Gravina

Italian Football Federation president Gabriele Gravina warned an economic crisis could irreparably damage Italy's passion for football.

FIGC president Gabriele Gravina

Serie A could lose over €700m in revenue if plans to restart the league do not come to fruition, according to Italian Football Federation (FIGC) president Gabriele Gravina.

The Italian top flight has been suspended since March due to the coronavirus pandemic, and Gravina said the division has already lost more than €500m.

As the FIGC prepared to meet with the country's minister for sport to discuss a plan to recommence matches from June 13, Gravina warned of the financial consequences of an extended suspension.

"The job of the federation is to get football running again and prevent the economic crisis irreparably damaging Italian passion for the sport,” Gravina told Riparte l’Italia magazine.

"We worked with determination to ensure Italy as a country gets back on its feet, including football, which is an important working sector that involves circa 100,000 employees and generates revenue for the state.

"We’ve worked incessantly with minister for sport Vincenzo Spadafora, the minister for economy and Finance Roberto Gualtieri and minister for health Roberto Speranza, to create secure conditions for professional football to resume.

READ:

"This is because only by returning to the pitch can we stop the collapse of revenue which in the short-term would otherwise be over €700m. More than €500m has already been lost to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown."

Meanwhile, Serie A club Bologna said an unnamed member of its staff is suspected to have contracted COVID-19, and the squad is to be kept in an isolated training camp should the individual test positive.

A statement on the club's website said: "The latest round of tests underwent by the team group revealed a case of suspected positivity to COVID-19 with regards to a staff member.

"Pending further analysis, the team will resume training individually and at different times tomorrow as a precaution, without the use of common rooms.

"If positivity is confirmed, the team group will be kept in an isolated training retreat."