Serie A strike called off

The proposed Serie A players’ strike has been averted after an agreement was reached between players and the league.

The warring parties appeared close to a resolution after marathon talks on Tuesday and a second set of negotiations on Thursday resulted in a new collective deal being signed.

The strike – originally scheduled for the round of fixtures on December 11-12 – has now been cancelled.

Players had refused to consider signing a new deal until they were offered assurances that they would no longer be frozen out of first-team training during contract disputes with their clubs.

Under the new agreement, it is believed that clubs would be prevented from forcing players to accept a transfer during the final year of their contract.

“The protest is cancelled,” the Italian footballers’ Union said in a statement.

“The union thanks the players who showed… a high sense of responsibility to defend their professional dignity and the fundamental rights of all workers,” Union President Sergio Campana said.

An earlier strike, planned for September, was also avoided.