EA Sports Obtain Serie A License for FIFA 19 as Worldwide Launch Draws Closer

Italian football will make a return to the FIFA franchise this year after EA Sports secured the license for Serie A, Serie B and the Coppa Italia ahead of the upcoming release of FIFA 19.

According to Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport (via Calcio Finanza), the Italian leagues will be added back to the best-selling football game having been absent from previous releases.

Though the Italian teams were fully licensed and featured in FIFA 17 and FIFA 18, the league itself was referred to as 'Calcio A' due to EA's inability to secure the rights to feature the league in their games.

However, this is now set to change as Italian football will now be on a par with the likes of La Liga and the Bundesliga in the latest edition of the game.

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EA Sports have also pulled off a major coup by securing both the Champions League and Europa League for the latest entry in the FIFA franchise, having previously been unable to do so due to UEFA's partnership with Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) creators Konami.

This means that FIFA players will be able to lead their favourite sides to the Champions League title for the first time ever, rather than the 'Champions Cup' that featured in previous instalments of the game.

And the good news doesn't stop there for FIFA fans, with the premature termination of Borussia Dortmund's official partnership with PES meaning that the club's iconic Signal Iduna Park could be among the real-life stadia featured in FIFA 19.

FIFA 19 is yet to be given an official release date by EA Sports but the game is expected to hit shelves in late September.