Serie A 2009-10 fixtures out later today

The countdown to the new Italian football season has started as the Lega Calcio will later today draw up and release the 2009-10 Serie A fixtures.

As announced last week, a ceremony for the compilation of the new season fixtures will take place at the Italian Olympic Comittee's (CONI) Foro Italico headquarters in Rome at 1610 UK time (+1hr for Italy/CET) on Wednesday 29 July.

The new Italian league season is set to kick off on the weekend of 22 and 23 August.

Earlier this month the Lega Calcio announced the structure for the 2009-10 domestic season with dates and new evening kick off times for the top-flight, Serie B, Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa Italiana. Full details are available here.

Serie B clubs, who kick off on the same weekend - on 21 August, will also find out their fixture lists at the presentation, which will be televised live by state broadcaster Rai.

The fixture computer will take into account a set of criteria for the Serie A draw but it will not be seeded - meaning there is a possibility of big head-to-head clashes in the opening and closing stages of the season, unlike in previous years.

However, the computer will be programmed to avoid allocating big rivalries and derby encounters to midweek rounds and other general rules such as switching the order of home debuts compared to last season and no repeated matchday fixtures from last year.

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON: 21 July 2009.

Source: Lega Calcio