The contract is a temporary resolution that will last until next June, but it means that the Serie A season will commence on Friday when AC Milan host Lazio.

A statement from the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) read: "An agreement was signed today by FIGC president Giancarlo Abete, Lega A president Maurizio Beretta and AIC (the Italian Players' Union) president Damiano Tommasi for the new collective bargaining agreement.

"The contract will expire in June 2012."

Last month's opening round of league matches were postponed after the Lega Serie A and AIC failed to find common ground. The old agreement expired at the end of the 2009/10 campaign and talks for its renewal continued throughout last season and this summer.

"We are sorry that the signature of the collective contract arrived so late," said Tommasi. "We hope this is a good sign for the next contract.

"It is important to play with a collective contract signed.

"It is pretty much the same conditions as we had last year but it is a starting point."

Lega Serie A president Beretta, who had come under fire for his reluctance to accept the AIC's proposal last month, said: "It was worth it for us to have a strong stand during negotiations as we have gotten more than we wanted."

The new deal includes six points that were already agreed during previous negotiations. Article seven, regarding unwanted players training away from the first team - something the AIC is strongly opposed to - has been left out of the agreement with a view to being reviewed over the next fortnight.

"Regarding article seven, we will meet with AIC for 15 days, and if no agreement is reached, Abete will have the final say," said Beretta.