Napoli Facing Possibility of Juventus Forfeit Amid Coronavirus Travel Ban
By Max Cooper
The Serie A clash between Juventus and Napoli, scheduled for this weekend, has been plunged into doubt after La Vecchia Signora stated their intention to fulfil the fixture, despite new travel restrictions being put in place in the area of Campania.
Gennaro Gattuso's Partenopei were expected to travel to Turin for the weekend's showstopper, but the clash was thrown into doubt when the club were informed they would not be able to leave the city.
It is possible for the match to be postponed until a later date, but Juventus have released a statement confirming their intention to take to the field and await their opponents, meaning Gennaro Gattuso's men may be forced to forfeit the game.
"Juventus Football Club announces that the First Team will take the field for the Juventus - Napoli match tomorrow at 20.45, as foreseen by the Serie A League calendar," the statement read.
Napoli will be desperate for Serie A officials to take into account the newly-laid restrictions which prevent them from travelling, due to recent increases in coronavirus cases. Gli Azzurri have yet to respond to Juventus' statement, and there is likely to be some hostility between the two parties, given their adversary's refusal to rearrange the fixture.
Should league officials side with the hosts, then Napoli will be handed a 3-0 defeat.
Elsewhere, Bianconeri defender Daniele Rugani has left Turin to join Ligue 1 side Rennes on a season-long loan. The Italian international had been tipped to break into Juve's first team for a number of seasons, but he has failed to prove his worth and is now on the way out.
The 26-year-old fell further down the pecking order following the arrival of Matthijs de Ligt from Ajax, and the emergence of Merih Demiral at the Allianz Stadium.
Juventus have also confirmed the re-signing of Udinese midfielder Rolando Mandragora for €10.7m, and have immediately loaned him back to his old club for the remainder of the season.