The women’s Serie A will become a professional league from next season, Italy’s soccer federation (FIGC) announced on Tuesday.

The FIGC said its federal board had approved the amendments to the association’s regulations which will turn the women’s top flight into a professional league.

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“We have brought to life and given the definitive legal base for the transfer [of women’s Serie A] to professional soccer as of July 1,” president Gabriele Gravina told reporters.

“It will be the start of a new challenge which will see us involved as a system in taking advantage of all the opportunities of this epochal change,” added Italian Footballers’ Association president Umberto Calcagno.

Juventus are currently top of this season’s competition, five points clear of AS Roma with two games remaining.