MILAN - The president of the Lega Calcio, Antonio Matarrese, wants to see Serie A cut down to 18 teams from 20.
The 67-year-old also wants to see Serie B reduced to 20 clubs, as he believes that will be the way to solve ongoing battles over television revenue and problems with falling attendances.
"A Serie A of 18 clubs and a B of 20. That's the future in order to save football," he said after a meeting between the league and the clubs,
"It seems important that we start discussing a true and proper reform of football. We don't have any other choice. The change must happen through restructuring the Championship.
"We can talk for months on the division of resources, but there's too much focus on new incomes. The truth is that there are too many of us."
Several Serie B clubs have threatened to go on strike if they do not receive a fair television deal in current negotiations, and it was only last month that Matarrese survived a vote of no confidence by just three votes, after they called an extraordinary meeting.
But the veteran, who is in his second stint as president, is not afraid of change after carrying out a similar action with Serie C in his tenure as president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC).
"It's up to the FIGC to do something about the problem," he added. "Don't forget that when I was president I reduced Serie C from 108 to 90 clubs.
"Now we have to carry out the same operation in A and B."
