MILAN – English-based Italian players have been asked by their union to back the planned strike in English soccer. „We wrote letters to the Italian players two weeks ago, asking them to support the action of the PFA,“ Stefano Sartori, a senior official with the Italian Footballers Association (AIC)

told Reuters. „We have spoken with Gordon Taylor of the PFA (Professional Footballers‘ Association) and we completely agree with the PFA‘s fight to respect the contract for five percent of television revenue,“ added Sartori. There are a number of high-profile Italian players with English clubs such as Chelsea‘s Gianfranco Zola, Derby County‘s Fabrizio Ravanelli and West Ham United‘s Paolo Di Canio. The PFA called players out on strike last Tuesday after the Premier League refused to meet the union‘s demands for the five percent share of a lucrative three-year television deal. In 1996, Serie A players went on strike in Italy during a dispute over the introduction of the Bosman ruling on freedom of contract.

Reuters