Damiano Tommasi, president of the Italian soccer players union (AIC), says a new collective bargaining agreement could be reached to allow the Italian league season to finallystart.
Last weekend’s start to the Serie A season was postponed when players and club officials failed to reach an agreement. The stumbling block: clubs want to bar unwanted players fromtraining with their first teams; players want to have the right to train with their clubs even if they have been released.
The Italian soccer federation, which has been mediating betweenthe players and the clubs, also released a statement claiming an agreement was close. According to Italian news agency Ansa, an agreement could be reached on Saturday.
The strike broughta sharp rebuke from FIFA President Sepp Blatter. “Professional football needs respect,” he