(Reuters) – British and Swiss players will be treated as European Union (EU) citizens in Italy following a request made by Serie A, Italy’s football federation (FIGC) said on Wednesday, allowing Italian teams to free up space to sign non-EU players.
Italian clubs are only permitted to register two non-EU players each season, a rule which remained in place after Britain left the EU in 2020.
“Players with Swiss and British citizenship are equivalent to EU players in all respects,” FIGC said in a statement following a Federal Council meeting on Monday.
The reform will apply from the 2023-24 season.
The decision will be welcomed by AC Milan, among other Italian clubs, who signed English midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek from Premier League side Chelsea in June.
Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma have had previously used the two-player quota following the signing of defender Chris Smalling and striker Tammy Abraham in recent years, with both English players starting regularly for the Rome side.
(Reporting by Anita Kobylinska in Gdansk; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
