ROME, Aug. 22 -- The Italian first division soccer league new season may face a strike if players and clubs do not reach a compromise over a new collective labour agreement.

"If we do not sign the new labour agreement, the first round of fixtures will be delayed," said the president of the players' union (AIC) Damiano Tommasi following a fruitless meeting with club representatives in Milan on Tuesday.

The Spanish soccer new season was also bothered by a strike as the opening day of the season had to be called off at the weekend after players there went on strike in a dispute over unpaid salaries. However while strikes were mooted in Italy several times last season, they were never carried out.

"After a year of this, we cannot call this a threat," added former Roma and Italy midfielder Tommasi. "The fact is we cannot start the new season without a new labour agreement. You will have to ask the League (Lega) what the chances are of us agreeing a deal."

"We want to start the season because it will mean that a collective labour agreement has been signed," he added.

Players in the Serie A are refusing to agree to train alone if their club decides that they are no longer in their plans, and are also against clubs being allowed to settle the final year of the contract of any player they no longer want.

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