Milan giants in training

Italian football giants Inter Milan and AC Milan were both back training on Friday two months after a strict lockdown which has hit the northern Italian city hard.

Inter said all their players and staff had tested negative for the coronavirus on Friday, clearing the way for them to return to individual training.

Captain Samir Handanovic led the way as players wearing face masks, arrived at the team's training centre. Temperatures were taken with three groups of players alternating to respect social distancing.

Their city rival resumed earlier in the week with club technical director Paolo Maldini warning "not going back on the pitch would be a disaster."

Maldini, together with his 18-year-old son Daniel, both recovered from COVID-19, but the San Siro outfit revealed that some were still not negative.

But opinions are divided on whether to follow France and the Netherlands and end the season or follow the Bundesliga and return behind closed doors.

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) met on Thursday with the government's technical scientific committee to discuss details of the medical protocol for a return to group training.

"Tell us what we need to do to return to play," FIGC president Gabriele Gravina was reported to have told government officials.