Italian top division Serie A appears to be prepared in the circumstance that the country misses the 2022World Cup in Qatar in November. After finishing second at theEuropean 2022 World Cup Qualifiersbehind Switzerland in Group C, the Azzurri are yet to secure their place in the World Cup this winter.
The Euro 2020 winnersmust now go to the Playoffs, where they will come againstMacedonia. Shall theytackle the obstacle, Roberto Mancini’s players would then meet with the winner of the Portugal vs Turkey matchup. As Italy prepare for all possible scenarios, it appears as though even the most positive one wouldn’t scrap the plans that they have been making.
Serie A management is reportedly considering organizing a 20-day tournament that will be played during the World Cup in Qatar later this year. The Serie A bosses thus want to help the clubs and theplayers who will not be competing at the grand international event,stay in a competitive rhythm ahead of the busy schedule that awaits them at the beginning of 2023.
Serie A tournament in the US: Possible format and bracket
Italian publication TuttoMercatoWeb say that the league’sdirector Michele Ciccarese and CEO Luigi De Siervo havetraveled to New York this week to meet with representatives of CBS Sports and Peacock, who have the exclusiveSerie A rights in the US. At the same time, the duo is said to belooking for sponsors who would support the tournament, which will not coincide with the World Cup matches.
Thecompetition, which would include all 20 Serie A teams, would take place during the World Cup, although the games would not be played at the same time. The clubswould be divided into several groups that would leada place in the Knockout Round. “We are at an embryonic phase,” Andrea Butti, Serie A’s Head of Competitions, told TMW. “We are analyzing this concept that we have on the table for a couple of months.It’s not a spur-of-the-moment thing.”
In addition, herevealed that they are preparing the competitionwith a pre-season for a few days before the Group Round and then the Knockout Stage. This idea might be utilized to ensure great watching numbers from Italy during the World Cupas well as to raise the profile of Serie A in North America, which is clearly essential to the league thatjust built headquarters in New York.