ROME, Aug 14 (Reuters) - The Italian Footballers' Association (AIC) on Tuesday reached an agreement with the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) over the number of young players Serie C clubs should use.
'In the 2001/2002 season Serie C1 clubs must have four
players born after January 1, 1981 and Serie C2 clubs must have
five,' the FIGC said in a statement.
It added that clubs would be provided with financial
incentives if these players came from the side's development
programme.
'We are very happy with the agreement,' Stefano Maioli, a
senior official at the AIC, told Reuters.
Last week the AIC called for all professional soccer players
to strike over a dispute about how many foreign and young
players Serie C clubs should use, a move that risked disrupting
the first round ties of the Italian cup.
The strike was later called off when Italy's Olympic
Committee (CONI) promised the AIC that a final agreement on
bottom division players would be to their liking.
Serie C clubs had been limited to one non-European Union
player but recent rulings have brought the limit into question,
raising fears that local players would have less chance to play
professionally.
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