Serie A to remain a 20-team division, thwarting attempt by leading Italian clubs to reduce numbers

Milan: Serie A will remain a 20-team division after a league assembly scotched on Monday an attempt by Italy’s biggest clubs to cut the number of participants to 18.

In a statement, Serie A said that “the league’s current format of 20 teams has been confirmed”, following the meeting at its Milan headquarters.

Italian media report that Inter Milan, Juventus, AC Milan and Roma were the only four clubs to vote in favour of the proposal, with the other 16 all voting against.

The idea of cutting the number of teams in Italy’s top flight has been floating around for a while as the number of games played by top clubs and players increases.

Serie A’s top four from this season will take part in the Champions League which from next term will have a new format.

Teams will have to play two more matches before qualification to the knockout stages is decided, adding more games to an already crowded calendar.

However Serie A’s lesser lights refused to agree to a smaller division, a proposal viewed as one designed to only satisfy the biggest clubs’ needs.

“I’m against it just like all the other medium and small clubs are. I don’t understand why we should deny so many teams their chance to dream,” said Lecce president Saverio Sticchi Damiani last month.

Serie A also added that it had approved a proposal for reforms to Italian football that it will present to the country’s governing federation FIGC next month.

The league will push the FIGC for more autonomy at an extraordinary general meeting on 11 March, a model of governance which earlier this month Serie A president Lorenzo Casini said would be similar to England’s Premier League.