Italy set for players` strike as last-ditch talks

Italy looked almost certain to face a players` strike after last-minute talks on Thursday failed to reach an agreement between the players and the clubs.

Rome: Italy looked almost certain to face a players` strike after last-minute talks on Thursday, 48 hours ahead of the scheduled start of the Serie A season, failed to reach an agreement between the players and the clubs.

Serie A president Maurizio Beretta said the clubs had rejected a proposal from the Italian FA, which has tried to mediate the dispute, aimed at ending a dispute over players` rights. "The proposal.....does not make Serie A change its position, we hope that the Italian Players Union (AIC) calls off the strike and accepts our proposal in its integrity," Beretta said in a statement on the league`s web site (legaseriea.it).The AIC has already said there will be no matches if a new agreement is not signed by the clubs. Bureau Report