From: sportinglife.com
The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has decided impose a block on the signing of new footballers from countries outside the European Union from September 1.
The ruling by the federal council of the FIGC will apply indefinitely to clubs in Serie A, B and C.
The decision has been welcomed by the Italian Footballers Association (AIC) as a bid to cut the number of non-Europeans playing in Italian football.
Italian teams were free to sign as many non-EU players as they wanted thanks to a FIGC ruling in May last year.
The 38 clubs of the Serie A and B will be allowed to sign one new non-EU player before the summer transfer market ends on August 31, while the ban is immediate for the lower divisions.
The move will not affect the non-EU players already registered with clubs.
"We anticipated the schedule of the immigration law (recently passed by the Italian parliament)," said FIGC president Franco Carraro.
"Had we waited longer, (hundreds of non-EU footballers) would have arrived. It is a right decision for Italian football."
It is not the first time that Italian football has taken such a step as clubs were banned from signing players from outside Europe from February 1965 until July 1979.
The ruling comes after the Italian senate last Thursday approved the Bossi-Fini law aimed at reducing the number of non-EU immigrants living in the country.
According to FIGC, the number of non-EU players rose from 205 to 384 in the past year.
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And then this:
From: theworldgame.com.au
Import ban gets mixed reaction
There has been a mixed reaction in Italy to the Italian football federation's (FIGC) decision to put a block on non-European Union players from September 1.
The ruling, by the FIGC's federal council, will apply indefinitely to clubs in Serie A, B and C.
Italian clubs have been free to sign as many non-EU players as they liked, thanks to an FIGC ruling in May last year.
But they will now only be allowed to sign one new player from outside the European Union until August 31 when the transfer window closes and the new law comes into force.
The move will not effect the non-EU players already registered with clubs.
AS Roma president Franco Sensi believes the new law will backfire.
"The only consequence will be the increase of the cost of European players," Sensi told the Italian press today.
Perugia president Luciano Gaucci also opposes it.
"It was the wrong time, they should have waited until the end of the market (on August 31)," he said.
But AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani welcomes the change.
"It is the right decision for the good of Italian football," said Galliani.
At present there are there 93 non-European players involved in Serie A, including some from countries outside the European Union such as Poland, Ukraine and the Czech Republic who are allowed, under a bilateral agreement, to live and work in Italy.
Serie A newcomers Reggina, AS Roma and Udinese top the list with the most non-European players - they have nine each.
Brescia and Parma have seven, Juventus and Perugia six and Como five.
Lazio have four, Bologna, Chievo, Empoli and Piacenza currently have three each, while Torino have two and Atalanta one.
Newly promoted Modena is the only club in Serie A without a non-European player in their squad.
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This comes as a setback not just for the Central & Eastern European countries but for many of the younger players here in Australia hoping to make it big in the Serie A.
I think it'll hurt Italian football in the long run and make the EPL & La Liga far more attractive options if they weren't so already.
The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has decided impose a block on the signing of new footballers from countries outside the European Union from September 1.
The ruling by the federal council of the FIGC will apply indefinitely to clubs in Serie A, B and C.
The decision has been welcomed by the Italian Footballers Association (AIC) as a bid to cut the number of non-Europeans playing in Italian football.
Italian teams were free to sign as many non-EU players as they wanted thanks to a FIGC ruling in May last year.
The 38 clubs of the Serie A and B will be allowed to sign one new non-EU player before the summer transfer market ends on August 31, while the ban is immediate for the lower divisions.
The move will not affect the non-EU players already registered with clubs.
"We anticipated the schedule of the immigration law (recently passed by the Italian parliament)," said FIGC president Franco Carraro.
"Had we waited longer, (hundreds of non-EU footballers) would have arrived. It is a right decision for Italian football."
It is not the first time that Italian football has taken such a step as clubs were banned from signing players from outside Europe from February 1965 until July 1979.
The ruling comes after the Italian senate last Thursday approved the Bossi-Fini law aimed at reducing the number of non-EU immigrants living in the country.
According to FIGC, the number of non-EU players rose from 205 to 384 in the past year.
-----------------
And then this:
From: theworldgame.com.au
Import ban gets mixed reaction
There has been a mixed reaction in Italy to the Italian football federation's (FIGC) decision to put a block on non-European Union players from September 1.
The ruling, by the FIGC's federal council, will apply indefinitely to clubs in Serie A, B and C.
Italian clubs have been free to sign as many non-EU players as they liked, thanks to an FIGC ruling in May last year.
But they will now only be allowed to sign one new player from outside the European Union until August 31 when the transfer window closes and the new law comes into force.
The move will not effect the non-EU players already registered with clubs.
AS Roma president Franco Sensi believes the new law will backfire.
"The only consequence will be the increase of the cost of European players," Sensi told the Italian press today.
Perugia president Luciano Gaucci also opposes it.
"It was the wrong time, they should have waited until the end of the market (on August 31)," he said.
But AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani welcomes the change.
"It is the right decision for the good of Italian football," said Galliani.
At present there are there 93 non-European players involved in Serie A, including some from countries outside the European Union such as Poland, Ukraine and the Czech Republic who are allowed, under a bilateral agreement, to live and work in Italy.
Serie A newcomers Reggina, AS Roma and Udinese top the list with the most non-European players - they have nine each.
Brescia and Parma have seven, Juventus and Perugia six and Como five.
Lazio have four, Bologna, Chievo, Empoli and Piacenza currently have three each, while Torino have two and Atalanta one.
Newly promoted Modena is the only club in Serie A without a non-European player in their squad.
------------------
This comes as a setback not just for the Central & Eastern European countries but for many of the younger players here in Australia hoping to make it big in the Serie A.
I think it'll hurt Italian football in the long run and make the EPL & La Liga far more attractive options if they weren't so already.
Don't they stop over in Indonesia? What does Indonesia do to stop them? Carlos SH*T! Too bad all the politicians are scared of Indonesia and kiss its @$$.
