Milan must adapt to get through Serie A disruption, says Pioli

AFP / Miguel Medina

AC Milan must stay focused on their Serie A title bid amid the fixture disruption caused by COVID-19 and the threat of closed-door matches, coach Stefano Pioli said on Saturday.

Four of the ten scheduled matches on Thursday did not go ahead due to rising cases across the league.

Additionally, stadium capacities have been reduced to 50%, and there have been reports that the Italian government could soon enforce closed-door matches.

"That is what this season is like; you need to know how to adapt and respect certain situations," Pioli told a news conference.

"Across Europe, there are games that are played and others that aren't due to excessive cases."

Milan's opponent on Sunday, Venezia, didn't play during the week as their hosts Salernitana had an outbreak in their squad, while Pioli's side moved one point off top with a 3-1 win over AS Roma.

"We are happy to have played our last game; now we face a team that didn't. Will that be a good thing or a bad thing? It's difficult to predict," Pioli said.

"Our objective is to win. The ruling bodies have to make decisions that aren't easy, and we will comply with the rules."

With Milan flying high in the league, Pioli admitted that the threat of a return of closed-door matches is a concern.

"We suffered a lot last time; we thought that the presence of supporters could be the norm forever," he said.

"Now the fans must be very careful and respect the rules because football without them is different." 

More from Sports

Coming Up on Dubai Eye

  • The Business Breakfast

    6:00am - 10:00am

    The Business Breakfast is the day’s must listen for the UAE’s business leaders, and those who aspire to be.

  • The Agenda

    10:00am - 1:00pm

    Broadcasting every weekday, Georgia Tolley goes beyond the headlines to speak to government ministers, decision makers, analysts and local experts to find out how the news will impact those of us living in the UAE.

BUSINESS BREAKFAST LATEST

On Dubai Eye

  • Flying Taxis

    It sounds like an episode of The Jetsons, but the sight of flying taxis whizzing around our cities could be much closer than you think.

  • Tough penalties for deliberate tax evasion

    The UAE has said that tougher penalties will come into force from 1st August for not keeping proper corporate tax records.