Italian Players’ Association (AIC) president Damiano Tommasi last week claimed the League had yet to sign a new collective agreement. The old agreement, concerning players’ rights, expired a year ago and the 2010-11 Serie A season was twice threatened by strikes before they were narrowly averted.
The new campaign is set to kick off on August 27, but Tommasi warned that action will be taken unless a deal is reached that suits all parties. The AIC is particularly concerned about clubs trying to force players to move in the last year of their contracts and unwanted players being forced to train separately.
The players’ campaign has stepped up with the publication of an open letter, signed by the captains of all 20 Serie A clubs, demanding that the dispute be settled before the start of the season. "Italy is today the only major football nation without contractual rules for the players and it is time to solve this situation,” the letter read. "We reiterate that it will not be possible to start a new championship without the signing of the agreement."
However Beretta told the ANSA news agency: “I'm surprised. We will not sign under these conditions and I don't see why we should submit to a threat from Tommasi, something we didn't accept with (predecessor) Sergio Campana. The strike threat by the players is a serious and insensitive act, especially considering the general situation in the country. We must not forget that we are talking about 800 players whose average wage is over Eur1 million per year.”
