The players’ association opposes a proposal that would allow clubs to force players no longer wanted by the clubs to train away from the first team or accept a transfer.

The Serie A season is due to begin Aug. 27-28.

The conflict between the players and the league has been going on since the last collective contract expired in June 2010.

The players set two strike dates during the first half of last season, both of which were avoided with last-minute verbal agreements. The league never actually signed off on the deal.

A document signed by the players Sunday asks the league to sign a version of the contract they signed in May.

“Without the collective contract signed it’s not possible to begin the new season,” said the document signed by players’ association president Damiano Tommasi, as well as club captains and some other players.

Serie A president Maurizio Beretta responded by saying that the contract could be signed at the next league assembly Aug. 19.

“A strike wouldn’t have any sense and there are good chances of closing a deal,” Beretta said Monday. “The real problem we need to deal with is the organization of training. That’s the most urgent point. There are technical modifications to be made.”

“A strike would leave everything unchanged as it is today and would only end up damaging the (sport),” Beretta told Italy’s Sky TV. “We just need to take this last step. We’re 90 percent in agreement.”

Still, Beretta appeared hesitant to give in on the issue of players no longer wanted by the clubs.

“A lot of squads have (a high number of players),” Beretta said. “Managers should have the possibility of arranging the workload. That seems like a logical position to me.”

While there have been numerous other threats over the years, the only time Serie A players went on strike was in March 1996. Among the issues then was the Bosman ruling, which established the right of players to switch clubs freely once their contracts expired and found that the strict limits on foreigners were illegal.