Italian clubs permitted two non-EU players
Reuters - Tuesday 05 July 2011, 23:06
MILAN - Serie A clubs will be allowed
to sign two non-European Union players per season instead
of the current one, the Italian football federation (FIGC) said on
Tuesday.
The FIGC said in a statement that the change, which will
come into effect for the 2011/12 season, had been unanimously
approved at a meeting of the federation.
"The return of the two non-EU players is important for
Italian football and will enable teams to recover their
competitiveness," Serie A president Maurizio Beretta (pictured) told the
league's website.
The restrictions were imposed a year ago following Italy's
first-round exit at the 2010 World Cup and were aimed at
encouraging clubs to invest in local talent.
Top clubs say the move backfired as it has put them at a
disadvantage against their European rivals, with no Italian
clubs progressing past the quarter-finals of the Champions
League last season.