The fate of the Serie A championship hung in the balance Thursday as state scientists huddled with football bosses in a desperate effort to save the pandemic-interrupted season, APA reports citing France 24.
The high stakes talks come with pressure mounting from sports-deprived fans and cash-starved sponsors for Italy to follow the German Bundesliga's lead and return to action.
Serie A began to descend into chaos at the end of February as the new coronavirus swept across Italy's north -- home to big teams such as Inter Milan and Juventus.
Several important matches were rescheduled. Some teams in the south played regularly and others in the north were not even able to train.
The league eventually threw up its hands and suspended the championship on March 9.
Fewer than 500 people had then died of the virus and the league was hoping to kick off again by early April.
Italy's official toll now stands at almost 30,000 and the time to pin the Scudetto badge on the shirts of the undisputed Serie A champion is running out.
Italy's Sport Mediaset channel called Thursday "the most important day for the future of our championship".
Some eager clubs have already opened up their grounds to players ahead of the official resumption of organised training on May 18.
Cristiano Ronaldo will have to observe a 14-day quarantine after returning to Italy from nearly two months of confinement in Portugal.
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