Inter Milan CEO, Giuseppe Marotta has demanded for a boycott of international football amid coronavirus pandemic, citing that the situation is creating inequality.
Moratta said this following a slew of positive cases recorded at Inter, Roma, Genoa Roma Sassuolo, Lazio and Fiorentina which has witnessed players being banned from joining up with their national teams over the international break.
The situation has called a latest round of testing, with current regulations dictating that all players from the above listed clubs must self-isolate for the next 10 days to contain any potential spread as directed by local health authorities.
Moratta, however, thinks this deals a huge blow on the Italian national team currently preparing for games against Estonia, Poland and Bosnia & Herzegovina.
On Friday, Italy’s head coach, Roberto Mancini tested positive for the virus, which means that he will not take his usual place on the touchline; dishing out instructions to the players for two games. However, there are speculations he could return against Bosnia in the Nations League, pending when the result becomes negative.
Mancini initially called up 41 players to his latest squad, but that number has been reduced to 25 with the virus currently doing the rounds in Serie A, and Marotta thinks that more should be done to protect players at club level as the pandemic continues.
“This situation is unfair,” the Inter chief told Gazzetta dello Sport. “There is a grey area in the lack of centrality of this way of management. In this way, each local health authority becomes central to the management of the clubs.”
“I go further, if faced with a case that’s positive and this is the overall management of the situation, then I say let’s boycott the national teams.
“Yes, I mean it. This is where the credibility of the system is concerned. Football must go on, it suits everyone and then the government should give us a hand and set certain rules.
“If we need a moment to stop, I propose that we all stop for 15 days, set clear and equal regulations for everyone, and then we start again. This is bad for all of Italian football.”
Marotta also urged Italy’s Minister for Sport to outline set of protocols for all clubs across the country, as he added: “This situation is creating inequality, so I demand the Minister for Sport Spadafora intervenes.
“It alters the regularity of various tournaments. I find it absurd that the ASL (local health unit) in different regions act differently, from Rome to Milan to Florence.
“There are protocols, but there is also this grey area created by the lack of any central organisation. Every ASL then becomes crucial to the fortunes of the club.
“This makes my raising the alarm even more important, as I said a few days ago we had to protect players from injury on international duty.”
