Serie A season to start on Sept. 19

19, one week later than originally planned, the Italian league said in a statement on Monday.

The league said the decision "confirms the preference already expressed ... by the majority of the clubs in a meeting dedicated to this topic."

The 2019-2020 season ended on Sunday, having been interrupted for three months between March and June by of the coronavirus pandemic.

There will also be a shorter Christmas break than usual and matches will be played on both Jan. 3 and Jan. 6. (Writing by Brian, editing by Pritha Sarkar)