Published 13:40 IST, October 5th 2020
Juventus to be awarded 3-0 win after Napoli fail to turn up due to positive COVID tests
Juventus are set to be awarded a 3-0 victory by Serie A after Napoli failed to turn up for the Juventus vs Napoli fixure due to positive COVID-19 tests.
Advertisement
In an astonishing turn of events in Serie A, defending champions Juventus will be awarded a 3-0 win after their opponents Napoli failed to turn up for their showdown. The news comes after Napoli failed to travel to Turin for the Juventus vs Napoli fixture owing to a number of their players testing positive for coronavirus. The game was eventually called off 45 minutes after the scheduled kick-off time after the Juventus players took to the field despite knowing that their opponents hadn’t even left Naples.
Why was Juventus vs Napoli called off?
The Juventus vs Napoli game came under scrutiny after two of Napoli’s players, Piotr Zielinski and Eljif Elmas tested positive for COVID-19 along with a member of the club’s staff. Following the Napoli COVID-19 outbreak, the side had expressed hope that the game would be postponed similar to the fate of Genoa vs Torino. However, the request to postpone Juventus vs Napoli was swiftly rejected by Serie A, citing UEFA rules.
According to Serie A rules that have been fashioned from UEFA’s guidelines, games cannot be postponed if a club can field a squad of 13 players including a goalkeeper.
Quite the most surreal spectacle unfolding in Italy right now as Juventus prepare as normal - team bus to the stadium, starting XI posted on Twitter - to face a Napoli team that everybody knows is not going to show up, seeing as they are still back home in Naples.
— Nicky Bandini (@NickyBandini) October 4, 2020
Club not allowed to travel due to Napoli COVID-19 situation
However, the Serie A guidelines were overruled by the local health authorities, who prevented Napoli from travelling for the Juventus vs Napoli fixture. With both Serie A and Juventus announcing that the Juventus vs Napoli game would go through, the Bianconeri were seen making their way onto the pitch, with some fans watching on from the stands as well. Juventus also released a line-up for the match despite knowing that Napoli hadn’t made the trip to Turin.
Napoli have been banned from travelling to play Juventus tonight but Juventus are adamant they are playing regardless. They are lining up with three at the back against no one, which is a bit overly cautious I think. pic.twitter.com/RrdshBMkqx
— Stuart Bennett (@Stubermensch) October 4, 2020
Napoli COVID-19 situation to give Juventus three points?
It is expected that Serie A will hand Juventus a 3-0 victory after Napoli failed to turn up for the game. After the incident, Juventus president Andrea Agnelli said to the press that the sporting rules clearly say that if a team does not show up, they will face disciplinary action. However, there is also a possibility that the game will simply be postponed, with the decision expected in a few days.
The final outcome of the Juventus vs Napoli fixture rests on the Sporting Judge’s decision, where Napoli will make the case that the club wasn’t allowed to travel by the local authorities even if they wanted to.
Image Credits: Juventus Instagram
Updated 13:40 IST, October 5th 2020