British and Swiss footballers playing in Italy now have the same status as citizens of the European Union, the country’s football federation announced on Wednesday.
In a short statement, the FIGC announced the decision had been made a meeting held on Monday, saying that the ruling “will apply as of the 2023/24 season” which formally began at the start of July.
The decision to change those players’ status came after a request from Serie A clubs.
It frees up Italian teams during this summer’s transfer window, as they are allowed to buy no more than two non-EU players per season.
Recent AC Milan signing Ruben Loftus-Cheek is no longer considered a non-EU citizen by the FIGC.
The United Kingdom left the EU in 2020, while Switzerland which borders Italy never joined.
