The Italian League has decided to postpone the start of the Serie A match between Inter and Roma for 24 hours due to the mourning period following the death of Pope Francis.
The match was originally scheduled for Saturday, April 27, after which Simone Inzaghi’s team would travel to Catalonia to face Barcelona in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final. However, due to the mourning period, all Saturday matches in Serie A were postponed.
The new date for the Inter vs. Roma match is now Sunday at 4:00 PM Mecca Time, just 72 hours before the match against Barcelona on Wednesday.
According to Italian media, Inter tried every possible means to hold the match on Saturday, but this was unsuccessful due to protocol. The Nerazzurri management also tried to postpone the match to May 21, but Roma and Inter’s rivals for the league title, Napoli, rejected the move outright.
Inter will be in a state of extreme fatigue before facing Barcelona, given the fact that they will also play Milan in the second leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final on Wednesday. This means the team will play three matches in seven days, during which they will travel from Italy to Spain.
It’s worth noting that Inter are tied at the top of the Serie A table with Napoli, with 71 points, and their chances of a historic treble remain intact, forcing coach Inzaghi to rely on his starting players in the three matches this week.
