Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis wants to see 16-team Serie A

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has told BeIN Sport he wants to see Serie A reduced to 16 clubs, believing the move would make the division more appealing.

De Laurentiis claimed broadcasters who have paid millions for TV rights do not like some of the fixtures they have to show.

"In 1986, Serie A had 16 clubs and now we are getting games that even Sky Sport and Mediaset are complaining about, so it makes me think," he said.

"Let's have a league with 16 sides with only one relegation. Everybody would gain: more revenue, no fixture congestion and more competitiveness in Europe.

"Even 18 would be fine, but it would have to be us seven [top clubs] who decide who these 18 are."

Serie A went from 16 teams between 1967 and 1988 to 18 teams until 2004, when it was increased to the current number of 20.

Italian FA president Carlo Tavecchio has also expressed a desire to reduce the number of teams in Serie A, saying a return to 18 would "bring an increase in the technical level of the teams and the fans who turn up."

Tavecchio set a timescale of four to five years for the transition to take place, but has yet to receive backing from the Lega Serie A.

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