ROME (AP) — Italian league officials might be second-guessing their decision to install a one-match playoff to determine the Serie A champion.
Inter Milan and Napoli are level with five rounds remaining and a rule put in place from 2022-23 requires a playoff when the top two teams finish with the same number of points.
But if Inter reaches the Champions League final and it comes down to a playoff, it’s not going to be easy to find a date.
Serie A ends on May 25 and the Champions League final is on May 31. Inter faces Barcelona in the semifinals.
A FIFA international match window is scheduled for June 2-10, with clubs required to release players for national team duty on June 1. Then the Club World Cup in the United States starts on June 15 with Inter one of the two Italian teams entered (along with Juventus). Inter opens its Club World Cup campaign against Monterrey on June 18.
There hasn’t been a playoff to determine the Serie A champion since 1964 when Bologna beat Inter 2-0 for the last of its seven league titles.
The rules call for no extra time in a championship playoff, with a penalty shootout in the case of a draw after 90 minutes.
The team with the better head-to-head record would host the playoff, but since Inter and Napoli drew 1-1 twice this season, it would go down to goal differential (Inter leads +40 to +27) or goals scored (Inter leads 72-52).
However, if the league determines that there are security issues it could decide to play the match at a neutral venue, likely the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
Still, a playoff may be unnecessary.
Antonio Conte’s Napoli appears to have an easier remaining schedule on paper, with games against Torino, Lecce, Genoa, Parma and Cagliari.
Simone Inzaghi’s Inter plays Roma, Hellas Verona, Torino, Lazio and Como. And the Nerazzurri also have a two-leg semifinal with Barcelona in the Champions League.
However, Inter’s treble bid is done following a loss to AC Milan in the Italian Cup semifinals on Wednesday.
While Atalanta has tightened its grip on third place with 64 points, there are a handful of teams fighting for fourth place and the final Champions League place: Bologna (60) is fourth, followed by Juventus (59), Lazio (59), Roma (57) and Fiorentina (56).
