MILAN — Serie A chiefs have welcomed a new package of reforms by the Italian football federation (FIGC) that will see squads limited to 25 players in a move designed to boost the flagging Italian game.



The crisis-hit Italian top flight has become a target for top players, coaches and critics in recent months, while Italy suffered its second consecutive first-round exit from a World Cup in Brazil last summer.



Earlier this week national team coach Antonio Conte complained the archetypal Italian player who could once strike fear into opponents is now “dying out.”



At a FIGC meeting Thursday new laws were voted that will see squads limited to 25 players. Four of those players must have been born in Italy while another four must come through the club’s own youth system.



The reforms are set to be introduced in 2016 and have been welcomed by Serie A president Maurizio Beretta, who said: “These reforms are very important because they will enhance Italian football, our youth players and our grass roots system.



“They have been in the air for many years. But we need time to put them in place and make them work. You can’t expect results from one day to the next.”



Last month former Juventus striker Fabio Quagliarella complained Serie A had too many “useless” foreign players that were taking the place of Italian second and third division players who were just as good.



The FIGC reforms, which formed part of Carlo Tavecchio’s platform during his successful campaign for the body’s presidency last summer, will also see new limits on the number of non-EU players in Serie A.



Although no sweeping changes will be made, new limits have been set. Upon a first registration with a professional club, a young player must already be a resident in Italy, to have come to the country with his parents for non-sporting reasons and completed four years of schooling.



A limit on the number of non-EU players allowed in each squad already exists but from 2016 a new non-EU player can only be brought in to replace another if he has already held a professional contract for at least three years.



Test awaits Mancini in Milan



The first Milan derby of the season provides Roberto Mancini with his first test on his return to Inter while Lazio host leader Juventus looking for the win that could boost the title chances of city rival Roma.



The black and blue half of Milan is abuzz following Mancini’s return to the club he led to a record three consecutive league titles, two Cups and two Super Cups in his previous spell in charge from 2004-2008.



Despite leading Inter into an enticing San Siro clash barely a week after succeeding sacked Walter Mazzarri, some believe the former Manchester City and Galatasaray handler has the edge over Milan coach Filippo Inzaghi.



“Mancini has the edge on Inzaghi,” wily veteran Zdenek Zeman, whose mercurial Cagliari are away to a Napoli side who sit third, only seven points adrift of Juventus and four behind Roma, told Mediaset.



“Inzaghi used to coach Milan’s youth side, but that doesn’t necessarily tell us whether or not he’s ready for Serie A.”



Milan has failed to win its last four games, taking a total of only four points to drop to seventh at 11 points behind Juve and four behind Napoli in the third and last Champions League spot.



With Inter sitting in ninth a point further adrift, Mancini is expected to deploy a 4-3-1-2 formation designed to plug holes in the defence as well as optimise an attacking line that failed to spark in Mazzarri’s 3-5-2.



Former Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic knows Mancini only too well, having finished second best to City in 2012 when the Italian led them to their first league title in 44 years.



Now the Inter defender is ready to embrace switching to a back four and has hailed Mancini’s pragmatic approach to training in his first week back at the club.



“It’s the formation I played in before so I’m used to it,” said the former Serbia international. “A new coach always comes in with his own ideas and philosophy. Mancini has shown us what he wants and what he expects, which is great and also good fun.”



Milan will be without Nigel De Jong after the Dutchman picked up an injury while on international duty last week.



But while Milan waits on its own former Premier League player, Fernando Torres, to spark amid an underwhelming start to the campaign for the Spaniard, Stephan El Shaarawy has shown plenty of promise on his recent return to the fray.



Rossoneri midfielder Sulley Muntari, meanwhile, played down the effect of Mancini’s return. “Mancini is a great coach who has had success everywhere he has gone. He’ll be influential, but he won’t be playing on the pitch. It will be down to the players,” said the Ghanaian. — Agencies