September 18, 2026

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

The initiative is aimed at easing the financial strain on clubs that drop out of the Italian top-flight

Serie A players to face automatic 25% pay cut if relegated
Serie A - Napoli fans watch Parma v Napoli - Naples, Italy - May 18, 2025 Napoli fan reacts as he watches the match in a square in Naples REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo

bdnews24.com

Reuters

Published : 07 Aug 2025, 08:11 PM

Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 01:37 PM

Italian top-flight players will see their salaries slashed by 25 percent 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 Sept 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.

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