Serie A considers Sunday 12:30 CEST kick-offs for key top-four matches
Quick summary
Serie A president Luigi De Siervo said Roma-Lazio, Genoa-Milan, Juventus-Fiorentina and Como-Parma could all be scheduled for Sunday at 12:30 CEST. The league is balancing sporting fairness with public-safety concerns around the Italian Open in Rome.
Full article
Attributed to Football ItaliaLega Serie A President Luigi De Siervo confirms Roma-Lazio, Genoa-Milan, Juventus-Fiorentina and Como-Parma might all kick off on Sunday May 17 at 11.30 UK time (12.30 CEST).
The penultimate round of the Serie A season is this weekend, but we still don’t know the dates or kick-off times for any of the matches.
As a general rule, the final two sets of games have teams competing for the same target playing simultaneously to ensure fairness, as knowing the other side’s result could give an advantage.
Considering how close the fight for the top four is turning out to be , this could involve Milan, Juventus, Roma and Como.
Serie A fixtures still to be decided TURIN, ITALY – MARCH 07: A detailed view of the corner flag inside the Juventus Stadium prior to the Serie A match between Juventus FC and Pisa SC at Juventus Stadium on March 07, 2026 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Giuseppe Cottini/Getty Images) “We are trying to balance all the requirements, from public safety to the Final of the Italian Open tennis tournament, to fairness in playing the games simultaneously,” Serie A President De Siervo told GR Parlamento Radio RAI.
“I am convinced that the solution for those games on Sunday at 12.30 would be in the interests of everyone.”
As luck would have it, the Italian Open is hosted at the Foro Italico, which is right next to the Stadio Olimpico, meaning there would be a huge number of people in the area.
The Men’s Singles Final is scheduled for the afternoon of Sunday May 17.
ROME, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 21: AS Roma coreography during the Serie A match between SS Lazio and AS Roma at Stadio Olimpico on September 21, 2025 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Silvia Lore/Getty Images) Another alternative would be to move all these Serie A games to Monday at 18.00 CEST (17.00 UK time), but that would infuriate the TV companies who feel it is a worse slot for their broadcasts.
It could also irritate people who might otherwise be at work when the games are getting ready to kick off.
MILAN, ITALY – APRIL 11: Massimiliano Allegri, Head Coach of AC Milan, looks on prior to the Serie A match between AC Milan and Udinese Calcio at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on April 11, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images) Meanwhile, if Napoli fail to beat Bologna tonight, they too could get dragged into the fight for the top four, and therefore also have to play earlier.
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What happened
Lega Serie A president Luigi De Siervo confirmed the league is considering moving several penultimate-round matches to a simultaneous Sunday 12:30 CEST kick-off. The affected games include Roma-Lazio, Genoa-Milan, Juventus-Fiorentina and Como-Parma, with the top-four race cited as the reason for synchronized scheduling. Public-safety logistics are also a factor because the Italian Open final is being held near the Stadio Olimpico on the same day. An alternative Monday evening slot was mentioned, but it is seen as less attractive for broadcasters and fans.
Chance analysis
This matters because simultaneous scheduling removes the informational advantage of playing after direct rivals in a tight Champions League race. The main football impact is structural rather than tactical: match context, urgency and in-game risk appetite become more aligned across competing teams. It is relevant for pricing motivation-driven markets late in the season, but it does not materially alter underlying team strength.
Likely effect is neutral-to-mildly positive for competitive fairness across Serie A teams involved in the top-four race.
Treat this as a scheduling and incentives update: it slightly sharpens motivation symmetry across top-four contenders but does not change baseline team quality.