European Union norms against state aid to industry apply to soccer like other sectors, European Competition Commissioner Mario Monti said Monday in the city of northern Italy Varese, the local media reported.  

According to the report that Monti said ahead of a summit of Italian soccer authorities "EU norms on state aid are well-known and precise."

"We didn't permit exemptions even when there are serious industrial crises and I really don't see how sporting activities should have a greater capacity to bend them," Monti said.

The report said Italian Soccer Federation and Soccer League met Monday in Milan to look at ways out of soccer's cash crunch which threatens the ability of clubs to sign up for next season's Italian league championship and European competition.

Among the proposals that have been aired are wage and roster cuts as well as penalties for clubs that are behind in paying taxes and salaries.

Last week Italian government was poised to bail out clubs with a decree that would have spread the repayment of tax debts, but the Party Northern League criticized the measure as unacceptable amid the current economic austerity.

The report said Italian Soccer League and Federation is still hoping for some sort of help from the government to ease clubs through a financial squeeze that sees some top names, especially Roma and Lazio.

Italian government has asked the Federation to draft an "industrial recovery plan" for consideration.

(Xinhua News Agency March 30, 2004)