MILAN, Italy -- Italy's top soccer league reached agreement on a new TV deal, allowing games to start as scheduled this weekend.
Second-division Serie B, however, will be delayed one week and start Sept. 7, Italian soccer officials said after an emergency meeting Friday.
The first Serie A game will be Saturday night, followed by a full slate of seven games Sunday and an unusual Monday night game to accommodate AC Milan, which was playing in the European Supercup on Friday.
Last year, Serie A was delayed two weeks while several teams worked out TV contracts.
The lack of a contract between Italy's major pay-TV outlet and a TV consortium of smaller clubs was one of two major issues threatening to derail the Serie A start this season.
The other issue involved plans by Serie B clubs to boycott the weekend's play in response to a move by the Italian Soccer Federation to increase Serie B by four teams. Several Serie A presidents had suggested they would join the Serie B boycott in a show of unity.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
= Sporting News Radio Pass