Livorno president Aldo Spinelli has slammed Italy's winter break and insists they should be competing with England's Premiership for TV audiences at this time of year.

He said: "We always follow the worst examples, but we should learn from England. Stopping the league for 20 days is unprecedented: we are forced into doing what the union wants for it's players.

"We are forced to watch English football on TV, it's a show, entertainment. Stadiums always full, no disputes, the public is courteous: all the things that we should be thinking about!"