Serie A players to face automatic 25% pay cut if relegated

ROME :Italian top-flight players will see their salaries slashed by 25 per cent if their teams are relegated to Serie B, under a new agreement between the Italian Footballers' Association and Serie A.

The five-year agreement was announced on Tuesday. The pay cut is aimed at easing the financial strain on clubs that drop out of Serie A and will apply to all contracts signed after September 2, 2025 - the end of the transfer window.

The new system automatically reduces salaries unless otherwise stipulated in a player's contract. Existing deals will remain subject to previously agreed terms.

If a team earns promotion back to Serie A, affected salaries will return to their original value. The collective bargaining agreement also introduces a minimum salary structure based on a player's age, which cannot be lowered even after relegation.