Italian football is set to follow in the footsteps of the Premier League following the decision last night to form a breakaway Serie A to be rebranded 'Lega Calcio Serie A'.
There have long been disputes over the spread of wealth between clubs in Italy's only two professional leagues, Serie A and Serie B, but a meeting of team presidents confirmed that an agreement couldn't be found.
Of all the 20 clubs in Serie A, only relegation-threatened Lecce opposed the breakaway leaving the remaining 19 to begin the new 'Serie A Football League'.
With England's Premier League clubs dominating European competition at the moment, those from Serie A are looking to secure the extra finances needed to compete with them. Serie B, however, have struggled even to secure a TV rights deal in recent times and have asked for a greater share of any money being generated.
Yesterday's announcement means Serie B will now be cut adrift to manage its own affairs and there are fears the league may now be severely weakened as a result. Many of its clubs are already experiencing financial problems and may have to reconsider their future if the league can't market itself as a more appealing prospect to investors.
Further details about the new Lega Calcio Serie A are yet to come to light, but the 19 breakaway clubs will no doubt be hoping they can emulate the financial fortitude of their Premier League counterparts and produce some Champions League successes of their own.
Friday, May 01, 2009
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