Champions League Draw Key to Rescheduling Serie A Fixtures

The Serie A league officials are eagerly anticipating the Champions League playoff and round of 16 draws, scheduled for tomorrow at noon. This event, involving four Italian teams, will play a crucial role in determining the dates and times for the postponed matches between Fiorentina and Inter, as well as Bologna and Milan.

The league is keen to swiftly resolve the issue and eliminate the remaining asterisks in the Serie A standings. Inter Milan, being the only Italian team to have secured a spot in the Champions League round of 16, finds itself in an advantageous position. This qualification frees up two additional slots in February, specifically in the weeks of February 11-12 and 18-19, which are typically reserved for playoff matches involving Atalanta, Juventus, and Milan.

If league officials can successfully implement their plan, the Fiorentina-Inter match – which was suspended after 17 minutes due to a medical emergency involving Edoardo Bove – could potentially be rescheduled as early as next week, possibly on Thursday, February 6. This date is four days before the return fixture at San Siro for the 24th round and takes advantage of the fact that neither team will be involved in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals that week.

However, Milan’s unexpected defeat in Zagreb has significantly complicated their schedule. The Rossoneri now face a grueling period of playing a match every three days until the end of February. Considering their upcoming Coppa Italia quarter-final against Roma on February 5 and the subsequent Champions League playoff matches against either Feyenoord or Juventus, the earliest possible date for their postponed match against Bologna (originally canceled on October 25 due to adverse weather) appears to be February 26.

The official announcement of these rescheduled dates is pending the outcome of the Champions League draw.