Tuesday Roundup: Pastore to the Pacific NW, Karsdorp Redemption, Restart Dates & More

We're three months into our global quarantine now (I think, right?) and the days are still bleeding into one another, making it hard to gather one’s seasonal bearings. By now, we should be knee deep cup finals, NBA playoffs, baseball games, cars making left turns for five hours on a Sunday and gearing up for summer BBQ season. But we're not. C’est la vie.

The return of the Bundelisga has given sports across the world renewed hope that modified versions of our favorite pastimes are possible in this day and age, but to date no other major football leagues have definitive re-start dates yet.

All that and more in today's news roundup.

While Bundesliga Has Already Restarted, Serie A Postpone Soccer Resumption

Forbes takes a look at the continued delays in the Serie A restart, most of which revolve around health guidelines and medical protocols in the event a player or staff member tests positive for Coronavirus. The first protocol presented has already been nixed twice by the government's scientific committee, in large part due to a disagreement over how and for how long a player or team should be quarantined following a positive test.

As it stands right now, the government has banned sporting events of all kinds until June 14th. So, for those of you geeked about a Serie A re-start, don't hold your breath.

Seattle Sounders swoop for Pastore | Football Italia

Javier Pastore's future continues to haunt Roma. With three years remaining on his deal, which, again, pays him €4.5 million per season, El Flaco has been connected with a host of clubs throughout this pandemic. It started with the obvious candidates--a return to Argentina and being the featured player for Inter Miami--but reports out of France suggest that Pastore could find a home in the land of coffee and flannel--Seattle.

I don't follow MLS at all, but Seattle seems to be one of the best supported clubs around, so this might not be as crazy an idea as it seems.

Rick Karsdorp: "I'd like another chance at Roma". - RomaPress.net

Oh, Ricky. What are we going to do with you? RomaPress passed along a story from the Dutch press yesterday in which Rick Karsdorp spoke about his experience under his three managers at Roma (EDF, Ranieri and Fonseca briefly) and then opened up about his desire to return to Feyenoord last season.

Karsdorp, who has two years remaining on his Roma deal, finished the interview by saying he'd like another chance to prove himself in the capital.

With few options beyond the rehabbing Davide Zappacosta and Bruno Peres, why not bring him back for summer training and see what he's got? Crazier things have happened.

Spadafora: "If the infections continue to fall, Serie A can restart on June 13" - Romanews

Italy's Minister of Sport, Vincenzo Spadafora, provided further insight into the debate between Giuseppe Conte's government and the powers that be in Serie A over the resumption of calcio. Spadafora, while remaining optimistic, made a point to suggest that, given the sheer amount of people involved in this effort (beyond simply the players), resuming football isn't merely a sporting matter.

Totti: 'My family wanted me to pick Lazio' | Football Italia

Bit of a misleading headline there--part of Totti's family were Lazio supporters, but his dad and brothers were Roma fans--but Totti (again) shed some light on the almosts and what ifs of his illustrious career.

These are interesting conversations, but is it just me, or does he seem to be talking about this stuff a lot lately?

On a personal note, Francesco. You couldn’t have done this last week when we published our Madrid piece!?

Roma look in the Premier League: the goals remain Pedro and Vertonghen - Romanews

RomaNews chimes in with perhaps the worst kept secret on the rumor mill--Roma's attraction to Pedro, Jan Vertonghen and Moise Kean. I'm not sure we should be head over heels about any of these moves, but at least Vertonghen and Pedro would be free transfers, while Mino Raiola is reportedly trying to arrange a loan with an option to buy deal for Kean, believed to be in the neighborhood of €20 million.

Things are still slow in the Romaverse right now, so if there are any topics you'd like us to explore, please let us know!