Current Serie A season could end without champion

The Italian football season could finish without a champion if Serie A is stopped again due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Italian football federation on Monday approved plans for a playoff or the use of an algorithm if the regular season cannot be finished.

 Serie A clubs had decided on Friday to ask for no champion or relegations.

The latest plans proposed by FIGC president Gabriele Gravina were approved by a unanimous vote. Serie A has been suspended since March 9 and is scheduled to resume on June 20, with the season set to finish on August 2.

Playoffs are the preferred idea but an algorithm will be used to determine the final standings if matches cannot be held because of time restrictions or the worsening of the pandemic, however, there could be no champion if the algorithm is used unless it is mathematically certain at the point the season is stopped again.

The final points tally of each team will be calculated based on their average points from home and away matches, multiplied by the number of remaining home and away matches and added to the points already earned.

The FIGC also announced that if a team is found to have violated the strict medical protocol established for resuming matches, it could face sanctions ranging from a fine to being excluded from the championship - depending on the severity of the infraction.

If the season cannot be restarted on June 20, the FIGC has until July 10 to decide whether it can restart. It has been allowed until August 20 to finish.