A player strike that's seen the first season of Italy's Serie A postponed may be approaching an end, with reports out of Italy claiming a contract between players and clubs will be signed Monday, September 5.
A source with the AIC - Italy's player's association - told the ANSA news agency that only "small technical details" remain to be worked out. That source claimed a deal will be signed "late morning or early afternoon" on Monday.
Frustration had grown over the last week as players and ownership were unable to work through the final divisions in contract talks, the most prominent of which centered on whether players unwanted by their clubs would be allowed to train with their teams.
The inability to reach an agreement on a contract forced the postponement of matches scheduled for August 27 and 28, when the season was scheduled to start with Fiorentina's visit to Siena.
Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon was the most prominent player to express his frustration, calling the work stoppage "a defeat for everyone" while claiming "with a little bit of common sense and collaboration we probably would have managed to find an agreement."
Should an agreement be signed on Monday, the season's first match would take place Friday, Sept. 9, with defending champion Milan hosting Lazio.
