Serie A strike ´very likely´ to be avoided

Serie A president Maurizio Beretta said it is ‘very likely’ this weekend’s player strike will be avoided after a breakthrough in negotiations.

The Italian Football Players’ Association (AIC) had called a strike for top flight matches on December 11 and 12, a move which would have thrown the league into disarray.

The industrial action stemmed from a failure by the Serie A and the AIC to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement for the players after the previous deal expired at the start of the season.

The two key issues are clauses which allow clubs to force unwanted players with a year left on their contract to agree to transfers to teams of equal standing, and another which can force a player out of the first-team squad if they are deemed surplus to requirements.

But after a marathon meeting between representatives from both parties, Beretta said an compromise had nearly been reached.

“We are one step away from reaching an agreement for the new collective contract,” he said.

“It has been a very positive meeting and I think it’s very likely that the strike will be called off. Finally, we have tackled the issues and we are in agreement on six points.”

“The seventh point, that in relation to players out of squad, we are still trying to find a solution that does not give way to discrimination and that also includes punishments in case it is violated.”