Female soccer players in Italy allowed to turn professional

Updated Apr. 26, 2022 3:24 p.m. ET

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ROME (AP) — Female soccer players in Italy will finally be able to turn professional next season after years of amateur-only status that limited their salaries.

The Italian Soccer Federation’s executive board approved new regulations on Tuesday that open the way for a women’s professional era starting July 1 — in time for the next Serie A season.

“Today is a big day,” federation president Gabriele Gravina said. “We’re the first federation in Italy to put this change into effect.”

, meaning that they couldn’t earn more than 30,000 euros ($32,000) per year before taxes.

In the initial vote, the women’s league had unexpectedly voted against the change.

“There was a bit of resistance from Serie A, which wanted to propose a delay but then we reached an agreement,” Gravina said.

Added Lazio president and federation board member Claudio Lotito: “There was just a misunderstanding.”

Former Italy great and Azzurre coach Carolina Morace applauded the move.

“Let’s hope it’s not a finish line but rather a starting off point,” Morace told the Lapresse news agency. “There are a lot of examples in Europe and we’re not the first.

Italy’s surprise run to the quarterfinals of the 2019 Women’s World Cup also played a role in the change, Morace said.

Nearly all of the big men’s clubs — Juventus, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Roma and Lazio — have teams that play in the growing Serie A women’s league.

“Now,” Morace added, “I hope that other federations do the same.”

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