MILAN (AP) — The two potential title-deciding matches of the Serie A season have been moved to Friday night.
The Italian league’s governing body announced on Monday that Napoli’s home game against Cagliari and Inter’s match at Como will kick off simultaneously at 8:45 p.m. local time (1845 GMT).
Antonio Conte’s Napoli has a one-point lead over defending champion Inter Milan heading into the final round.
If both teams finish level at the top of the league, there will have to be a playoff to decide the destination of the title.
Given that very real possibility and that Inter is also in the Champions League final — against Paris Saint-Germain — on May 31, a scheduling issue arose.
The league council met on Monday morning and Italian media reports that the meeting was immediately suspended because of disagreements: with Inter wanting to play the final matches on Thursday and Napoli on Friday, in order to celebrate more fully with its fans.
Discussions eventually got back underway and it was decided to play the Napoli and Inter matches on Friday.
The six matches that involve teams battling against relegation or fighting for fourth spot and the final Champions League place will be played Sunday. AC Milan vs. Monza and Bologna vs. Genoa will take place on Saturday.
Conte and Inter coach Simone Inzaghi will not be in their respective dugouts, however. Both were sent off at the end of their team’s penultimate matches: a 0-0 draw at Parma for Napoli, and Inter’s dramatic 2-2 draw against Lazio.
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