In the wake of the La Liga season in Spain being disrupted by a players' strike, those who play in Serie A are following suit. Serie A players are negotiating a new collective agreement with league officials. The last deal expired in June 2010, and two threatened strikes last season were averted through mutual agreement.

Club presidents will address the situation at a league meeting Wednesday. The players are attempting to block the adoption of a new guideline, Article 7, by which a club can force a player it no longer wants out of first-team training or to accept a transfer.

“If the contract doesn’t get signed merely due to the interpretation of article 7, it means there are other motives,” Italian soccer federation president Giancarlo Abete said, according to ANSA. “And if that’s the case, then it would be a good idea to detail them directly."

The players' say they have accepted other changes to their collective contract, including a new tax imposed by the government on high-income citizens as part of austerity measures. The season is scheduled to begin Saturday.