February 13 – Serie A will remain a 20-team division after an attempt by Italy’s biggest clubs to cut it by two clubs failed.
Inter Milan, Juventus, AC Milan and Roma were the only four to vote in favour of the proposal for an 18-club league.
The idea of cutting the number of teams in Italy’s top flight has been floating around for a while as the number of games played by top clubs and players increases.
Serie A’s top four from this season will take part in the Champions League which from next term will have a new format.
Teams will have to play two more matches before qualification to the knockout stages is decided, adding more games to an already crowded calendar.
The top clubs had therefore pushed for the reduction but needed a majority of 14 in order to pass the reform. However the rest of Serie A refused to agree to a smaller division.
“I’m against it just like all the other medium and small clubs are. I don’t understand why we should deny so many teams their chance to dream,” Lecce president Saverio Sticchi Damiani said last month.
A proposal for reforms was also approved which will be presented at the Extraordinary General Assembly of the Italian football federation (FIGC) in March. The Italian league is pushing for more autonomy from the FIGC, similar to the Premier League in England.
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