Italian Football Association (FIGC) president Carlo Tavecchio says he will insist on the next Serie A season starting early, even if some clubs may be scheduling lucrative summer tours.
To facilitate the Italy national team's preparations for the 2018 World Cup, for which they have not yet qualified, Tavecchio is to call for the 2017-18 Serie A season to start on Aug. 13.
The Italian football season usually begins at the end of August or the start of September, with August considered a month for holidays. Many offices and factories shut down for much of the month while there is a public holiday on Aug. 15, but Tavecchio said starting on Aug. 13 "is a possibility."
He told reporters in Florence: "Of course we've got to exclude Aug. 15 as a possibility because that is a sacred day for all Italians, so it's pretty simple to suggest [Aug. 13]. It would be crazy to play on the 15th because all Italians are elsewhere then."
That could also include many of Serie A's top clubs, for whom a preseason tour can be a valuable source of income. Furthermore, Italy face Spain in a key World Cup qualifier on Sept. 2 and Tavecchio wants to ensure the national team players have built up some match fitness in time for that game.
He is therefore seeking to confirm the start date as soon as possible to ensure that both the clubs and Italy coach Giampiero Ventura can firm up their plans accordingly.
"We'll find a way of negotiating with the Serie A clubs who have already committed to summer tours and try to find a solution in everybody's interests," Tavecchio added. "We first need to focus on the [World Cup qualifying] game against Spain as that's going to be a crucial game in terms of qualifying, and that is why somebody has to make a sacrifice somewhere."