MILAN (AP) — The Italian league has postponed discussions about a strike threat because too few Serie A presidents showed up at a meeting on Friday.
Instead, the league says Italian soccer federation president Giancarlo Abete will address on Monday the biggest sticking point in the contract: A proposal that would allow clubs to force players no longer wanted on the team to train away from the first team or accept a transfer.
Serie A president Maurizio Beretta says he is confident that a strike will be avoided. The conflict between the players and the league has been ongoing since the last collective contract expired in June 2010.
This month, captains of all 20 clubs signed a document threatening a strike if the contract is not signed before the Aug. 27 start of the season.
