Odds Split on Whether Italy’s Serie A Will Conclude Season In 2020
- All events in Italy postponed till April 3 due to COVID-19 pandemic
- A playoff is being discussed if the season were to resume this year
- Read below for our prediction on Serie A being completed in 2020
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought sport across the world to a virtual halt and with little live action to cover, thoughts have turned to when and how the competitions and leagues, especially those that are at the mid-season stage, will be completed.
Italy’s Serie A has just 12 games left – 13 games for a few teams – and was set up nicely for a battle royal between the mighty Juventus and the Romans of Lazio for the title. But will there be a winner? The odds are evenly split for a Yes or a No for Serie A to complete the season.
Will Italy’s Serie A Season Be Completed in 2020? – Odds
| Odds | |
|---|---|
| Yes | -115 |
| No | -115 |
*Odds taken Mar 21
Soccer in Shutdown
All sporting events in Italy have been put on hold until April 3 because of the pandemic, but there appears little chance of games resuming after that date as things stand.
At a meeting of the Italian football federation on March 10, they confirmed they were considering the option of holding playoffs to decide the champions, the European places and the teams to be relegated. Other options under consideration were declaring the current standings as final or even not declaring a champion at all. They also acknowledged there was no ideal solution and there isn’t an option that will not be subject to legal scrutiny.
Euro 2020 Slid to June 2021
With UEFA having confirmed they are sliding the 2020 European Championship to June of 2021, there is at least now a potential window of opportunity for getting some sort of completion for the 2019-20 season — this decision following a video conference call between leading figures from European football.
A problem for the Italian federation is that, while the clubs accepted the need for some innovative thinking to get this season concluded, they roundly reject the prospect of a condensed playoff schedule to decide the season.
This could bring the clubs into direct conflict with the governing body with FIGC President Gabriele Gravina warning them they may have no option but to take part in playoffs if the season isn’t completed by June 30. However, Gravina later alluded to the fact that the 2019-20 campaign could potentially be spread over two seasons in order to bring it to a conclusion.
Mixed Messages
With such mixed messages coming from the Italian game’s governing body – clubs theoretically have 17 games to cram in between May 2 and June 30 if you include the Coppa Italia – it’s very difficult to see any way the June 30 deadline can be met, and there’s already an assumption that the Coppa Italia will have to go over into 2020-21.
So, a tricky one for not only Serie A but all soccer (and sports) leagues across the globe. For Serie A, there does seem to be a desire to get this completed and while the chances of the clubs agreeing to playoffs appear slim, the fact they have agreed that the Coppa Italia can be carried over, suggests the same option could ultimately be offered to the league. On that basis, it seems likely, one way or another, they will complete season 2019-20 before the year is done.
Pick: Yes, Serie A will be concluded in 2020 (-115)
Once just a sports fanatic, fan-turned-writer Gary Gowers has been featured on European television and radio networks to discuss several professional football clubs. His work can be found in an assortment of publications like The Metro, MyFootballWriter.com, and BBC Radio Norfolk.
