While many others teams are already working hard on their summer duties, Italy is scheduled to meet in Bormio next Saturday, July 19th. But there are many good reasons to believe that the big-thrill of the summer, the players strike vs. the eliegibility rules for the Italian leagues, is far from being solved. And the activity of the national team is targeted as the the best way of attract attention to the problem.

All of the 18 players selected by national team head coach Carlo Recalcati will be in Bormio, including Danilo Gallinari, whom the New York Knicks selected 6th in the last NBA Draft. As a result of the GIBA decision, at this stage the players will refuse to take part in the official training schedule. However, they will continue to train by themselves, with individual programs, in the various sites around Bormio.  But what really happened before, to arrive at this point of no-return?

The actors on the scene are three: LegaBasket (the Clubs' Associations), Fip (Italian Basketball Federation) and GIBA (Italian Players' Association). They met in Bologna on July 9th to solve the problem. Fip and GIBA took their step-back. LegaBasket did not. One month ago the LegaBasket proposal regarding the eligibility of the players for the Italian League was accepted by Fip and GIBA went crazy.

In this document, called "Convenzione", it is written that for next season every club can have a roster with six foreign players (no more than 4 non-EU), and 6 Italian players. Among those, four must have been formed in Italy (meaning players with at least four years in the youth category), plus two naturalized players, coming originally from foreigner federations and with their status now changed to Italian.

But in the previous Convenzione it was written that beginning next season all the six Italian players should have to have spent time with Italian youth teams. They ejected the naturalized players from the count, with the exception of those who have dressed for the national team at high-level competitions like the Olympic Games, World Championships and Eurobasket. In the new Convenzione, signed by Lega and Fip, the rules are as follows. For season 2008/2009, 6 foreigners and 6 Italians (4 formed in Italy+2 naturalized), season 2009-2012, 6 foreigners and 6 Italians (5 formed in Italy+1 naturalized).

GIBA, who has now been invited to sit at the table unlike before made their own proposal. For seasons 2009/2011, 10 players on the bench (instead of 12), with 5 foreigners (2 non-EU, 3 from EU) and 5 Italians (3 formed in Italy+2 naturalized). For season 2011/2012 there would be no more naturalized players among the group of 5 Italians.

Also Fip has made a separate proposal. From 2009/2010, 6 foreigners (no more than 2 non-EU) and 6 Italians (5 formed in Italy+1 naturalized). All the players naturalized as Italian before June 30th 2006 are eligible for the  Italians group, while the "new Italians" after that date are not included in the same group, but considerated as EU players as well.

But the Lega Basket Assembly refused any single change of the Convenzione. The two proposals would have as an effect a solid reduction of non EU players (from 4 to 2) and naturalized players.

"We signed a Convenzione with a unanimous vote, in the same way we refuse to change it" said Lega President, Francesco Corrado.

So, GIBA announced the players strike against the national team.  Fip President, Fausto Maifredi, announced that he will be in Bormio with a new proposal. But all the players who refuse the NT invites will run the risk of being disqualified by Fip and Fiba Europe rules.

"To strike is a right of all the workers, according to the state law. If somebody will be persecuted with disqualification, we are ready to ask the right to the state judge to protect our rights" said Players' Association President, Giuseppe Cassì.

In the Qualifying tournament for Eurobasket 2009, Italy has to play its first and most crucial game, on August 20th against Serbia, in Cagliari. But who will play that game?