Italian second division soccer looked unlikely to resume next weekend after Serie B sides repeated their refusal to accept an expansion of their division to 24 clubs.

Last week nineteen Serie B sides boycotted the first round of matches in protest against Italian FA plans to readmit relegated sides Catania, Genoa and Salernitana to the division, as well as Florence club Fiorentina.

The start of the season was postponed until this weekend, but Football League vice president Antonio Matarrese, whose organisation represents the clubs in Italy's top two divisions, said the two sides remained far from reaching an agreement.

"There's a lot of tension and a solution is still far off. There's little chance that Serie B will start on Saturday," he told reporters on Monday after a meeting of the Italian FA in Rome.

"Everyone is working hard and we'll just have to see what happens on Wednesday at the assembly of the Football League," he said.

The move to expand the division began in July when Catania won a legal action against the FA to avoid relegation.

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