The Serie A (Italian pronunciation: [ˈsɛːrje ˈa][1]), also called Serie A Femminile eBay due to sponsorship by eBay, is the highest league of women's football in Italy. Established in 1968, it has been run by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) since the 2018–19 season, and currently features 10 teams.
The most successful club in the league's history is Torres, who have won seven times. The current Serie A champions are Roma, who won their second consecutive title in 2023–24[2] after their 2022–23 triumph that ended a five-year series from Juventus who won each of the last five years before. As of the 2022–23 edition, the Serie A is ranked fifth in the UEFA women's coefficient, and the top two teams qualify for the UEFA Women's Champions League.[3]
The Serie A became fully-professional from the 2022–23 season, removing the salary cap and allowing teams to pay their players a higher wage.[4] Women's footballers became the first female athletes in Italy to be fully professional.[5][6] The number of teams also decreased from 12 to 10.
On 25 June 2020, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) announced that Serie A Femminile would achieve professional status by 2022. Previously, the team was recognized as "amateur athletes". Serie A Femminile traces its origins back to the 1960s. However, due to widespread disinterest, neglect, prejudice, and institutional barriers, the league struggled to gain a foothold, delaying the development of women's football in Italy for many years. A turning point came in the summer of 2019 when the Azzurre's impressive performance, reaching the quarterfinals at the 2019 Women's World Cup, captured the nation's heart. This sparked a movement towards the professionalization of women's football, championed by figures like Gravina|Gabriele Gravina, president of the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (FIGC). Later that year, the Italian Senate passed an amendment to the 2020 Budget Law, paving the way for amateur athletes to turn professional.
After achieving professional status, salary increased for the players of Serie A Femminile. Previously, there was no standard salary. Previously, the maximum salary was capped at €30,658 gross per season (about $33,000 at the time). Players received additional stipends for travel, flat-rate reimbursements, and performance-related bonuses, though these could not exceed €61.97 per day for up to five days a week. Before the league's professionalization, there was no standardized salary structure. Now, players and staff are guaranteed a minimum annual salary of €26,000 (Sky Sport). Moreover, the 'maximum wage' cap has been removed, allowing teams the freedom to pay top players as they see fit. Beyond salary improvements, professionalization introduces additional benefits like pensions and healthcare. In the past, a serious injury could prematurely end a player's career, impacting their future prospects due to the lack of a safety net. Now, with access to medical treatment, pensions, and other support, players have greater security both during and after their football careers. Benefits also include maternity leave and eligibility for unemployment assistance. However, these new contracts pose potential risks for younger players. Their contracts are typically secure only if the team remains financially stable or does not decide to release them (Football Workshop). Therefore, young players must carefully consider their team choices to avoid being locked into unfavorable contracts.
One of the major steps the Italian Olympic Committee is taking to promote equality is encouraging the promotion of women in management roles. One of the ways they plan to do so is by increasing the number of women and girls that participate in sports, and finding more areas for women to become more involved. Furthermore, the Serie A Femminile teams are required to hire people that will ensure the promotion of equality by managing the “women’s sectors” of the clubs.
There are two phases per season. 10 teams face one another in a round-robin round-robin tournament during the first phase, with 18 total home and away matchdays. The top 5 teams qualify to the championship round (poule scudetto) and the bottom 5 teams compete in the relegation round, in phase two. Both groups of teams begin the second phase with points earned during the first phase. In the second phase, the teams within the group participate in another round-robin tournament, totaling 10 additional home and away matchdays, this time including two rest sessions per team. The season concludes with the end of the second phase, when the first ranked team in the championship round is considered the winner of Italy, as well as the first and second ranked teams qualify for the UEFA Women's Champion League. The last-ranked team in the relegation round is directly relegated to the Serie B, and the second-to-last ranked team in Serie A relegation round plays the second-ranked Serie B team to try to secure a place in the following Serie A season.
The following ten clubs are competing in the 2023–24 season.
Below is a list of previous champions, including those belonging to several independent federations under which the Serie A title was contested before entering the FIGC. Since 1968 all championships were defined as "Serie A":
