AS Roma to resume training as Serie A clubs eye return
AS Roma followed in the footsteps of Serie A rivals Sassuolo, announcing a return to training next week.
Roma will resume training activities next week amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Serie A team announced.
The 2019-20 Serie A season has been suspended since March due to the COVID-19 crisis, which has killed more than 244,500 people worldwide.
All teams in Italy are set to return to training on May 18, the day after the government's existing lockdown measures expire, but some are scheduled to resume earlier.
A decree issued by the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy on Thursday opened the door for Sassuolo, SPAL, Bologna and Parma to return to training next week.
Sassuolo were the first team to announce a resumption of training on Saturday, although social distancing rules must be complied with and there can be no mass gatherings.
And Roma followed suit, saying in a statement: "#ASRoma would like to thank the Lazio Regione for its sensitivity towards team sports.
"Next week, Roma players will undergo medical assessments and begin individual training sessions – observing safe distancing guidelines – at the Trigoria training centre."
An emergency meeting of Lega Serie A was held on Friday during which it was reported all 20 teams agreed to resume the campaign rather than follow the examples of the Eredivisie and Ligue 1, which ended their respective seasons amid the coronavirus pandemic.
After Italy's sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora warned the government could step in to bring the season to a conclusion if an agreement on medical protocols for the resumption of matches was not reached, Lega Serie A president Paolo Dal Pino's call for a united approach was seemingly heeded.
Defending champions Juventus were a point clear of Lazio through 26 games at the time of postponement.