The Collegio di Garanzia of the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) released today the motivations behind their decision to rule in Napoli’s favor on the appeal against the forfeiture of the Round 2 game versus Juventus, saying that the Partenopei fully complied with the protocol related to the COVID pandemic and that the instructions by the local health officials (ASL) simply superseded it.
The committee added that Napoli did not act in bad faith when they decided not to make the trip and that the theory sustaining that the act was preordained, as written in the sentence of the second degree of judgement issued by a court within the Italian Football Association (FIGC), is unfounded. As a result, the Azzurri did the right thing in obeying when the ASL told them not to leave the region after Piotr Zielinski and Elif Elmas tested positive for Coronavirus.
According to the Collegio, whose decision is final, the protocol put together by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), in accordance with the national public health officials (CTS), is below the pecking order compared to what the local authorities prescribe and that adopting the special kind of quarantine provided for footballers, who can play and practice despite being close contacts, is a faculty and not an obligation.
Moreover, the fact that the club repeatedly asked for information and clarifications indicate that they did intend to play the game. A new date for the match has yet to be decided.
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