January Transfer Window: Due to rising COVID-19 cases, Italy has now joined France in making vaccination compulsory for all athletes who play outdoor sports, This might impact Premier League players looking for a move to the Serie A this January. Follow football updates on InsideSport.IN
The Italian government met this week to implement urgent changes to its coronavirus restrictions, with every sportsperson in the country – from the professional game to the amateur divisions – needing a ‘Green Pass’ in order to take part.
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The ‘Green Pass’ is given out 15 days after a person has been vaccinated for the first time, with the Covid passport-style document also needed to enter swimming pools, festivals, religious buildings, hotels and public transport.
January transfer window: Serie A joins Ligue 1 in making vaccination compulsory for sports stars
Serie A, Italy’s top football division, had revealed earlier this month that 98 per cent of all their footballers are double-jabbed in a league that has been unaffected by the Omicron variant so far.
This rule might affect Liverpool when they face Inter in the Champions League Round of 16. In case Liverpool have unvaccinated players, they might not be allowed to play on February 16 if the rules take place.
The Premier League has revealed that 16 per cent of top-flight footballers are yet to receive their first dose of the vaccine.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has been fully supportive of players getting vaccinated and claimed earlier this month that the club would not be signing any new players who have not had both doses.
‘I think it (being vaccinated) will be influential, definitely, in who clubs sign,’ said the Liverpool manager. ‘If a player is not vaccinated at all, he is a constant threat for all of us.
‘He doesn’t want to be a threat, it’s not that he thinks ‘I don’t care about the others’ but he is.’
January transfer window: Serie A joins Ligue 1 in making vaccination compulsory for sports stars
The new restrictions are set to come into effect on January 6 when Serie A resumes after its winter break. This rule will also be applicable for the fans who will need a ‘Green Pass’ in order to enter stadia at any level.
Those sports stars who are double-jabbed will also be exempt from any quarantine rules, but are advised to wear a mask for up to a week after their arrival.
Italy’s move comes just days after France president Emmanuel Macron announced that full, double-vaccinations will be mandatory for professional sports people in the country from January 15.
Currently, professional and amateur sportspeople in France all need to show a Covid passport to gain access to stadiums and participate in games. The method to obtain this passport includes being double-vaccinated or after a negative RT-PCR test, yet under the new rules the latter option will be removed in favour of a sole vaccination passport.
Ligue 1 had announced that 95 per cent of their footballers are double jabbed, much higher than the Premier League.
January transfer window: Serie A joins Ligue 1 in making vaccination compulsory for sports stars
France have also become the latest nation to limit spectators at football matches with new Covid rules announced limiting outdoor gatherings to just 5,000 people. It follows similar measures taken in Germany where 15,000 fans are now restricted to Bundesliga matches following rules brought in earlier in December.
The Italian government considered a similar move in their meeting this week but no decision was made on that in the minutes.
Italy saw the highest number of coronavirus cases hit on Christmas Day with 54,762 daily new cases, though that figure decreased on December 26 to 24,883.
France, meanwhile, also saw a record-high number of Covid-19 cases this week, with 104,611 on Christmas Day, increasing by 10,000 compared to the previous day. It was the first time the country has gone over 100,000 cases a day since the pandemic began.
January transfer window: Serie A joins Ligue 1 in making vaccination compulsory for sports stars
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