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- FIGC started process for reform in 2020
- Format revamped to increase number of games to 28
The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has announced that its top-flight domestic women’s soccer league will become professional from the 2022/23 season.
The news comes after the Italian soccer body approved new regulations, which will kick in from 1st July. These include the removal of the current salary cap of €30,000 (US$31,5000) per year and the creation of a pension fund for women’s Serie A players.
The FIGC has overseen the Italian top-flight women’s league since 2018 and started the process of going professional in 2020.
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The move to professionalisation will see the 12-team league shrink to ten from the start of next season. To counteract that reduced number of games, the division will be split into two after each team has played each other twice for a post-season to decide the competition for European places and relegation to Serie B. Under this format, the women’s Serie A will see each team play 28 matches.
“It is an important day,” said Gabriele Gravina, president of the FIGC.
“Finally there are the rules governing the activity and exercise of women’s professional football. We are the first Federation in Italy to implement this important path.”
Lorenzo Casini, president of the men’s Serie A, hinted that his league organisation would be interested in running the women’s league in the future.
“It is excellent news,” he said. “I am very happy. I was very surprised to read about Serie A resistance on this – it is the opposite.
”I hope that Lega Serie A will soon have two divisions – male and female – so as to be able to further enhance a rapidly growing movement.”
