The Italian Footballer’s Union (AIC) has officially called off this weekend’s proposed strike by Serie A players over a collective contract.

In a statement on their website, AIC president Sergio Campana praised players for sticking to their guns in the protracted negotiations.

“The AIC thanks the players who showed total participation, togetherness (and) a high sense of responsability in defending their professional dignity and the fundamental rights of all workers,” said the statement.

“Taking into account the good progress in drafting a new collective agreement with the mediation of Italian Football Federation president Giancarlo Abete and having listened to the club representatives, the Aic revokes the protest action and communicates that Serie A players will play in the league programme scheduled for December 11 and 12.”

Serie A players and clubs were at odds over a proposed collective agreement that would give clubs the power to force players to accept a transfer in the final year of their contracts.

The contract itself has not yet been signed but an agreement has apparently been reached and will probably be ratified next week.

“There will be the Football League Assembly on Monday and we will then bring the definitive text of the new contract,” said League president Maurizio Beretta.

Federation vice-president Demetrio Albertini, a former Milan and Italy midfielder, said all but the final details had been agreed.

“There is the political desire to end this. Abete spoke with the representatives of the two parties, Campana for the Aic and Beretta for the league. There’s still a few details to complete but we’re very close,” he said.

Earlier Juventus’s lawyer Michele Briamonte, who was representing the Italian Football League in negotiations with the Players’ Union, had already claimed the strike was unlikely to go ahead.