The decision to move the Derby della Madonnina kick-off time to 12:30 on Easter Saturday has predictably left behind a long queue of dissenting voices. One thing is certain however; no matter how controversial a move it is, Italian football has reached an important turning point.

The popularity of both clubs in Asia – and China in particular – is what has led to this rethink of how Calcio is marketed abroad. On April 15, viewers in Beijing will be able to watch the match at 18:30.

La Gazzetta dello Sport believe this was an inevitable step, especially given the fact that Inter are owned by Suning. Furthermore, Milan are also in the process of being sold to a Chinese consortium.

Potentially, there will be 333 million viewers in China alone, proving that the demand for Serie A is there. There is a lot of ground to be made up on the Premier League and La Liga, which have tailored their schedules to suit Asian markets for many years.

A lunchtime derby will be an historic event, even a little strange, but the business world is changing and Italian football must move with the times.

Source: La Gazzetta dello Sport