<div style="text-align: center"><a href="http://view.picapp.com/pictures.photo/entertainment/roma-inter-milan/image/8715638?term=AS+Roma+Inter" target="_blank"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" src="http://view4.picapp.com/pictures.photo/image/8715638/roma-inter-milan/roma-inter-milan.jpg?size=234&amp;imageId=8715638" border="0" alt="May 05, 2010 - Rome, Italy - epa02145055 Italian Luca Toni (L) of As Roma and Argentinian Javier Zanetti of Inter Milan struggle for the ball during their Italy Cup final soccer match at Olimpico stadium in Rome, Italy on 05 May 2010." width="234" height="260"></figure></div></a></div>
Serie A fans have had to endure a long two weeks for the international break, but they could be looking at another long break at the end of the month that could deprive fans of the most anticipated matches so far this season.
Earlier today, the Italian Professional Players’ Association announced that, due to the failure to sign a collective-bargaining agreement, all Serie A players will go on strike the weekend of September 25-26.&nbsp; That weekend has two high profile and anticipated matches, as defending champion Inter is set to visit scudetto contender AS Roma, while AC Milan hosts dark horse contender Genoa.
At issue is a proposal by the owners to limit a player’s ability to refuse a transfer.&nbsp; The proposal states that a player with more than a year on his contract cannot refuse a transfer if he is being transferred to “<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/europe/story/Serie-A-stars-to-go-on-strike" target="_blank">an equally competitive club</a>” that guarantees the same financial conditions.&nbsp; An example would be this offseason’s potential transfer of Fabio Grosso to AC Milan, when he refused to leave Juventus. Also, the players are allegedly upset with another proposal that would force players to be <a href="http://www.tsn.ca/soccer/story/?id=333260" target="_blank">treated by team-appointed physicians</a> instead of their own doctors.
FIGC President Giancarlo Abete has called for a meeting Monday with himself, AIC representatives and Serie A leadership.&nbsp; But even if some agreement is reached, the strike will likely continue according to AIC representative (and Milan fullback) Massimo Oddo: “The players are fed up with being treated like objects and not like people. We are dealing with human rights here.”
This is the first players’ strike since the 1995 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosman_ruling" target="_blank">Bosman ruling</a> over player transfers.&nbsp; While strikes have been threatened in the past, this time it looks like the strike will definitely happen.&nbsp; I am sure we have not heard all sides of the debate, but the timing on this announcement could not be worse.&nbsp; Italy’s season is already behind that of England, Germany, and France and now faces another break four matches into the season.&nbsp; The next international break is two weeks after the strike, so by mid-October Serie A fans would have only seen their favorite club play five Serie A matches.
Ultimately, the fault lies with both sides for not resolving this situation over the summer, and as usual it is the fans who will suffer.&nbsp; But what do you think about the strike?

Serie A Players to Strike on 5th Matchday

Serie A Players to Strike on 5th Matchday - World Soccer Talk

Milan defeated fallen giants Juventus 3-0 in a match with no consequence to the Serie A title race yet it served as the proper farewell for coach Leonardo who managed to do well despite the lack of depth in the squad and the limited resources.
The Rossoneri only spent on Klaas-Jan Huntelaar who turned out to be a flop and was unimpressive forcing Leonardo to confine the Dutchman to the bench and use Alexandre Pato and Marco Borriello as his starting duo in attack. Unfortunately injuries had a negative effect on Milan’s season with Pato missing a chunk of the season due to injury along with centre-back Alessandro Nesta who has been sorely missed in recent weeks.
The lack of alternatives to both Pato and Nesta meant the Rossoneri had no chance to compete for the Serie A title and this was evident as the club’s progress was halted in recent weeks with defeats against both Sampdoria and Palermo. Defeating Juve is always a positive thing and a welcome sign but the current Bianconeri players are a shadow of the feared side in the mid 1990s and early 2000s.
Leonardo proved he can remain calm and make the right decisions despite the tremendous pressure heaped upon him and the constant criticism from president Silvio Berlusconi. The tifosi gave the Brazilian coach a tremendous farewell as they chanted his name and held banners to thank him for his efforts. Milan’s management has committed a big mistake by letting the Brazilian leave as he has been part of the club for over a decade in multiple roles and has helped bring in some of the brighter Brazilian talent to Milanello. With every Milan defeat one could see how that affected Leonardo who would cheer on with every goal scored by the Rossoneri throughout the season.
Milan will also need to replace not just the outgoing coach but also some of the veterans who are nearing retirement and must address the status of Huntelaar. The Dutchman will be best served if he is sold and that can bring in some much needed funds which can be used to bring another quality attacker who can hopefully adapt to life with the Rossoneri and meet expectations. The Rossoneri are in desperate need of at least one full-back considering Gianluca Zambrotta and Massimo Oddo are no longer capable of properly fulfilling their role in that position.
In midfield Gennaro Gattuso must be replaced and it is clear Frenchman Mathieu Flamini is not the ideal solution so the club ought to bring in a defensive midfielder to reinforce the squad. Finally, the biggest concern will be the status of Brazilian duo Pato and Ronaldinho. Pato has been linked with a move to the England Premier League while Ronaldinho has had his best season in Serie A and was one of the key players behind Milan’s ability to end the season in third place. Ronaldinho will finish the season as Serie A’s top assist man and has managed to find the net four times in two matches against the Bianconeri. He showed flashes of brilliance in several matches this season and while he has yet to return to his Barcelona form, the Brazilian managed to end the season on a high and produced a series of convincing performances during this campaign which merited a recall to the Brazilian squad headed to South Africa 2010.
The summer will be a crucial period for the club to make the necessary adjustments and bring in a qualified coach. The rumours point to either Mauro Tassotti or Filippo Galli taking over and while this means the Rossoneri will look for their former players to lead the line, this move might backfire as not every former player can become a decent coach.

What Next For Milan?

What Next For Milan? - World Soccer Talk

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Serie A Players to Strike on 5th Matchday

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