Italy's Serie A wants to organise a tournament in the United States during this year's World Cup, using players not called up by their national sides, as it seeks to boost its international profile, chief executive Luigi De Siervo said. Qatar will host the World Cup from Nov. 21 to Dec. 18, forcing major European leagues such as Serie A to take an unusual, prolonged break during their domestic season.

"We want to keep our players fit while promoting ourselves in a market which we consider strategic," De Siervo told Reuters. All the 20 clubs in Serie A would participate with players not involved with their national teams in Qatar. "Fixtures would be scheduled to avoid any overlap with the World Cup calendar," De Siervo added, referring to the kick-off times, adding that discussions were still at the early stages but potential media partners had been sounded out.