Italian season resumes today
The Italian season resumes after a three-month break due to the coronovirus pandemic on Friday when Juventus, still chasing a possible league, cup and Champions League treble, host AC Milan in the return leg of their Coppa Italia semifinal.
Juventus are favourites to reach next Wednesday's final after a 1-1 draw in the first leg but coach Maurizio Sarri said that his side were venturing into the unknown after such a long layoff.
"None of the staff at this moment knows where the preparation is because we come off an abnormal interruption," he said, adding that the stoppage was completely different to the usual close season.
"This is a unique situation, which does not give us certainty, also because we have not played friendlies. I am satisfied with what I have seen during these days in training, but the response during a game will be different."
For AC Milan, the past three months have been a turbulent time with incessant speculation that the club wants to dismiss coach Stefano Pioli at the end of the season and replace him with German Ralf Rangnick.
The team will also be missing 38-year-old Zlatan Ibrahimovic with a calf injury he suffered in training last month.
Gazzetta dello Sport and other media said there was a tense meeting between chief executive Ivan Gazidis and the players on Wednesday to discuss a wage reduction related to the stoppage.
Comments