Serie A players to strike next month

Players in the Serie A will go on strike for matches on the weekend of 11-12 December due to a dispute over contracts, union vice-president Leonardo Grosso has announced.

The players had previously planned to go on strike in September but it was postponed so further negotiations could take place.

The Italian soccer federation had hoped the union would wait for an Olympic Committee hearing on Wednesday before naming strike dates.

The players took the decision to strike due to a breakdown in negotiations between the Lega Calcio and the players' union on a new collective bargaining agreement.

Leonardo Grosso, vice-president of the players' union, Associazione Calciatore Italiana, said after the meeting: "The strike has been called for 11 and 12 December.

"We are really disappointed because we were open to negotiate and to find common ground, but no agreement has been reached."

Italy Football Federation president Giancarlo Abete was called in to try and help resolve the situation, but the players stuck with their decision, having given the Lego Calcio until today to try and reach an agreement.

The main area of disagreement deals with what the players perceive as a lack of protection when clubs try to force them into a transfer when they enter the final year of their contracts.