Serie A has formally postponed Saturday’s game between Sassuolo and Inter because of a COVID outbreak within the Nerazzurri camp.
It had been scheduled to begin on Saturday at 19.45 GMT.
Considering the local health authority (ASL) put the whole Inter squad under quarantine until midnight on Sunday, that made it impossible to play.
There are currently four COVID cases within the team, for Danilo D’Ambrosio, Samir Handanovic, Stefan de Vrij and Matias Vecino.
However, the speed of the spread is causing concern and prompted the ASL to intervene.
There is also a ‘free pass’ allowed for clubs to activate just in case of an epidemic, although other teams chose not to even with much more positive tests.
The issue here, because it was with Torino’s matches against Sassuolo and Lazio, is that the speed of the contagion, associated with the so-called ‘English variant’ of COVID-19.
This makes it unsafe for not only the teams to play against another squad and potentially spread it further, but also even to train as a group.
Inter are ordered not to train or emerge from their quarantine until a minimum of midnight on Sunday.
Inter players will now rest and won’t go on international duties, which could be good to continue their amazing form in Serie A.