In a move that may well be replicated in other leagues, the Italian Football Federation has introduced a salary cap for Serie B that will come into effect next season.
By Declan Whooley
In an effort to curb excessive spending by clubs, players signed from July of this year onwards will have a maximum of €150,000 per season in a fixed salary plus up to €150,000 in performance-related bonuses. Football chiefs hope that the changes will help clubs to save up to 25 per cent on their current costs.
Other measures have also been taken in an effort to address some issues that have been affecting Italian football of late.
Serie B president Andrea Abodi also announced that the second division had agreed to limit the number of players over the age of 21 that each club is allowed to have. From the 2013-14 season, clubs can have a maximum of 22 players over the age of 21, while in 2014-15 that figure will be reduced to 20.
Other federations will be keeping a close eye on how the changes pan out in the second tier of Italian football next season.
