Two of the greatest Wops out of football Baggio and Lenerduzzi!!
Tuesday, March 5, 2002
Cut imports, Italian clubs urged
ROME, March 4 (Reuters) - Italian clubs have been urged to reduce their contingent of foreign players by the Italian Footballers Association (AIC) - a suggestion which has also been made by national coach Giovanni Trapattoni.
The majority of Serie A and Serie B teams have large numbers of foreign players and there is no ban on the amount of non-EU players they can field following legislation last year.
"At a time when Italian clubs want to reduce the size of their squads to 25," said AIC president Sergio Campana, quoted by Italian news agency ANSA, "it our idea is that six players in each team should be Italian and we think that two thirds of registered players should be Italian."
There are 341 foreign footballers in Serie A and B this season, compared to 66 during the 1995-96 season - the year of the Bosman ruling - and Campana wants to introduce a quota of Italian players in each team.
The data, supplied by AIC, at a meeting in Milan on Monday underlines the massive rise in foreign players in Italy.
"We must know the wishes of clubs but we already know the principal arguments will be flexibility with the compensation to reach sporting objectives," Campana added.
"The presence of non-EU players from the youth teams to trainees is dramatic. There are teams in which the presence of Italians is a minority."
Italian clubs were banned from having foreign players following a poor showing in the 1966 World Cup although this was rescinded at the start of the 1980-81 season to one foreign player per squad.
Italy coach Trapattoni has also suggested a reduction in the number of foreign players in a bid to make the national team more competitive.
Torino fielded an all-Italian side when they drew with Juventus last weekend and Piacenza had a policy of fielding just Italians when they were in Serie A two seasons ago, although the club were relegated.