- Italy’s big three have combined with the Italian FA to propose 18-team plan
- Serie A itself and most of its 17 other clubs are set to resist their plans
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February 10 2024
Inter Milan and AC Milan are backing a proposal to reduce Serie A from 20 clubs to just 18
Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan have reportedly proposed reducing the number of clubs in Serie A from 20 to 18.
The league’s three most historically successful clubs have backed a plan initially proposed by Italian federation [FIGC] president Gabriele Gravina.
However, the majority of the other Serie A clubs are against the proposal.
Sky Sport Italia reported that Inter CEO Beppe Marotta plus Juventus general manager Maurizio Scanavino and director Francesco Calvo met Gravina at the federation’s headquarters to discuss the matter.
Milan president Paolo Scaroni joined the meeting via video conference call.
Juventus also back the plan, which the big three say would increase the quality of the league
The discussions over reducing the size of the top division in Italy come ahead of an extraordinary FIGC assembly on March 11 when a restructure will be debated.
Serie A expanded from 18 to 20 clubs ahead of the 2004-05 campaign and the big three argue that reducing it again would ease the packed fixture list and increase the quality of football on offer.
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The German Bundesliga and French Ligue 1 have 18 clubs, while England’s Premier League and LaLiga in Spain have 20.
Other Serie A clubs and the league itself will resist the big three and FIGC’s proposals.
Inter currently top the table, four points ahead of Juventus, with Milan a further four back in third. There is then a 10-point gap to Atalanta in fourth position.
The currently bottom three in Serie A are Verona, Cagliari and Salernitana.
Prior to Napoli’s Scudetto triumph last season, you had to go back to 2001 for the last time one of either Juventus, Inter or Milan didn’t win the title.
Juventus have 36 championship wins overall, while Inter and Milan have 19 apiece.
Verona, Cagliari and Salernitana currently occupy the bottom three positions in Serie A
Napoli’s Scudetto win last season was a rare interlude in the dominance of Italy’s big three
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