Totti joins row over Serie A season starting date

ROME, July 18 (Reuters) Italy and AS Roma striker Francesco Totti has threatened to quit the Italian Players Association in a row over the starting date of the next Serie A season.

The row began last month when the Italian Football League, which is run by the presidents of clubs in the country's top two divisions, voted to start the season on August 26.

In doing so, they ignored a request by Italy coach Roberto Donadoni to play the first round of matches midway through the month to give his players time to gain match-fitness ahead of Euro 2008 qualifiers against France and Ukraine in early September.

''I'm ready to leave the Italian Players Association. We are the principal actors, but also the people who are never listened to,'' Totti was quoted as saying in Italian football magazine Dieci (Ten).

''This is the moment in which we must make our voice heard. We wanted to start on August 19 to have an extra week's rest at Christmas and allow the national team to come into the big matches in September better prepared.

''Those who decided (on August 26) didn't care at all about Donadoni's needs.'' Serie A is one of the last major European leagues to start next season. The opening round of English Premier League matches is scheduled for August 11, while the French Ligue 1 begins on August 4.

REUTERS TB PM1555